


Forever May Not Be Long Enough

by svgurl410



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Background Het, Crying, Emotional, Emotional Manipulation, Established Relationship, Fake Cheating, Fluff and Angst, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, Jealousy, M/M, Male Slash, Male-Female Friendship, Out of Character, POV Multiple, Unhappy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-09-17
Updated: 2007-10-08
Packaged: 2017-11-13 17:36:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 43,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/506018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svgurl410/pseuds/svgurl410
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After graduation, Clark knows he needs to go for his training and it causes him to make some tough choices.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** all characters belong to the CW/DC Comics  
>  **Spoilers/Warnings:** AU of s7/angst, slight cheating, references to character death [none of the main ones], OOC behavior  
>  **A/N:** thanks to my beta, boltgirl426, for all her help and coming up with the title!

“I can’t believe we’re graduating!” Chloe exclaimed, as they stepped out of their last final. Clark grinned at his best friend.

“Me either,” he admitted. “Graduation is in two days . . . it seems so surreal.” He was graduating college with a degree in journalism. At one point, he didn’t even think that he would go back to school but then again, he didn’t expect a lot of what happened over the past couple of years.

Chloe beamed at him, oblivious to his thoughts. “Your mom is coming right?”

“Of course,” Clark said. “She didn’t know if she would have meetings or be in session but she said that she was able to make it.”

His mother, a United States Senator, was someone he didn’t get to see to often. Three years ago, after Senator Burke’s murder, she had been chosen as his replacement. She would be finishing her term this year and was going up for reelection. From what he had been hearing, there was a high probability that she would win.

He was proud of his mother, and of all the good things that she had accomplished. But there were times when he missed her. She was living in Washington D.C., so he only saw her on holidays. It was his mother leaving that caused him to reflect on his life as well. Though he loved the farm, he just couldn’t imagine staying there his entire life.

So he applied to Metropolis University and had been accepted as a journalism major. When he had thought about what he wanted to do with his life, he realized how much he enjoyed digging up stories with Chloe. His best friend was too pleased that she “pulled him over to the dark side.” Lois had been surprised, but he could tell she was proud of his decision.

One thing was for certain and that was he had to get his life back together. After Lana’s death . . . Clark winced inwardly as he remembered the pain he felt upon finding out his first love was dead. But she was and he was forced to move on.

Lex had managed to get out of jail . . . lack of evidence, they said. But Clark knew it was the Luthor cover-up machine working at full swing. He was hardly in Smallville these days and more in Metropolis. Somehow, Clark had managed to duck him and their meetings remained few and far apart.

Chloe had almost died. In fact, they thought she was dead. When Clark had found Lois freaking out with an unconscious Chloe, they all figured she was dead. It was only later when Clark heard her screaming from the morgue did he realize that she was still alive. He saved her and he found out she had a meteor induced ability. A healing power. What started out as just healing tears developed and now Chloe could heal with her hands. It was amazing and Clark was in awe every time he saw her use it.

Which wasn’t often and Clark made sure she was careful. The last thing he wanted was for her to fall under Lex’s radar again. He had almost lost her once and that had been one of the worst moments in his life.

Lois didn’t know about Chloe’s ability and they intended on keeping it that way. Though she was one of Clark’s closest friends and Chloe’s cousin, neither of them wanted to share this with her. Of course, Lois had a lot of questions but somehow, they managed to evade them, giving her answers that appeased her without giving off too much information.

Speaking of which, Clark thought as he saw a familiar brunette approaching. When Metropolis University reopened, Clark hadn’t been the only one to return to school. Lois had joined him and now all three were graduating together.

“Hey guys!” Lois said happily. “We’re done!”

“How’d your last final go, Lois?” Chloe asked, smiling.

“Long,” Lois sighed. “But it was good.” She turned to him. “Hi Smallville. You’re awfully quiet over there.”

“Not all of us can talk as much as you, Lois,” Clark teased. Lois stuck her tongue out at him and Clark laughed.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “I swear, the two of you are impossible. We’re all adults and both of you still act like children.”

“It’s the way we interact,” Lois said. “The jokes are the basis of our relationship. It’s the way we show we care.”

Clark nodded. “Yup, what she said.”

At this, Chloe was unable to hide her smile. “So, Lois,” she said, changing the topic. “Got any plans for the summer?”

“Going to look for a job,” Lois sighed. “But after a little bit of relaxing first, of course.” Lois had stayed at the Inquisitor but all three of them knew she was looking for greener pastures.

Lois paused and gave them a half smile. “Do you know? The General is coming to graduation.”

“You’re kidding!” Chloe exclaimed. Clark raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

“Nope,” Lois responded, shaking her head. “He’ll be here and Lucy will too.” Clark could tell she was trying to remain nonchalant but he saw the excitement in her eyes. Lois, for all her tough attitude, really did miss her family.

“That’s great, Lois,” Clark said sincerely. He was rewarded with a small smile.

“What about you guys?” Lois questioned.

“Dad will be here,” Chloe confirmed. Gabe Sullivan didn’t get to see his daughter very often. His new job had taken him to Topeka but Chloe had excitedly told him how he was going to be there for graduation.

“Mom will be there too,” Clark added.

Lois grinned. Then she glanced at Clark with a sneaky look on her face. “Is someone else going to be there cheering for you, Clark?”

He couldn’t help the blush that arose at her words. “Lois . . .”

“Oh, you know who I’m talking about,” Lois teased. “He’s 6’3”, blonde, billionaire . . . goes by the name of Oliver Queen?”

“He’ll be there too,” Clark admitted.

Even the mention of Oliver’s name got a reaction out of Clark. Which was another part of his life that had changed drastically over the past couple of years. Something he hadn’t even seen coming. Oliver’s position in his life. Never had he expected his feelings for Oliver to change the way they did. One day he was just a friend and the next, Clark was looking at him in a completely different way.

For someone who had always presumed himself to be straight, it was a harsh reality to face. But he had overcome it and the fact that Oliver had feelings for him as well made it a lot easier. They’d been together a little over two years and Clark could remember when he first realized his feelings like it was yesterday.

_Opening the door, Clark glanced around the farmhouse. Empty. It seemed that his mother wasn’t back yet. It was Christmas break and immediately after he had finished his last final, he had headed home. The empty farmhouse made him a little sad but he tried his best to think happy thoughts. No matter how lonely he was inside._

_But he couldn’t help but think of all the Christmases that had been so different. Decorating the farm with lights, choosing a tree . . . Christmas had always been such a celebrated time of year in the Kent Farm._

_Now everything had changed. His father was dead, his mom was living in D.C., and he would be at school most of the year. Going back hadn’t been easy and getting back into the routine had taken awhile but having Chloe and Lois around made it easier._

_The past couple of months hadn’t been easy and not even just in terms of school. He had had to go to school but still had an obligation to remove the Zoners. The most difficult one was over though. But he had gone through so much before it was all over._

_Lana was dead and Lex hadn’t even stayed in jail. But at the time, he wasn’t able to concentrate on grieving her. He still had to stop the Phantom. Had to work on protecting the world and himself from his doppelganger, who had the same abilities as him but had an immunity to green kryptonite._

It wasn’t easy but he had stopped Bizarro, as he dubbed the Phantom. With the help of J’onn, he found out that his duplicate had a weakness to blue kryptonite. At first, he had just been stunned that there was yet another color of the meteor rocks but he hadn’t had time to mull over it.

_Finding the Phantom was easy and after a violent battle, he had used the blue kryptonite and it worked. Only after it was all over was he able to process what happened. Lana’s death hit him the hardest and it took all his willpower not to lose it when he found out Lex was out of jail._

_He had put his efforts into getting ready for school, finding the remaining Zoners . . . anything to get his mind off Lana. It hadn’t been easy but his broken heart was slowly healing. Clark still missed her like crazy and there were times he looked out in the window of his loft, only to remember how she used to live right next door._

_The funeral had been difficult. It hadn’t been too big consisting of his mom, Nell and Dean, Chloe, Lois and a few other people. Lex hadn’t shown up though Clark was positive he saw a figure lurking around. But he was mourning Lana . . . the last thing he wanted was to find Lex. There was no way he would be able to keep his cool then._

_Sighing, Clark made his way to his loft. His safety, his Fortress of Solitude as he once called it. It still provided him a level of comfort that he hadn’t been able to find anywhere else. Especially not in the apartment he shared with Lois and Chloe. Living with two women was not easy but he preferred it to the dorms. The rent was fairy cheap and it was close to campus._

_He had a scholarship to cover his tuition and books so he got a job on campus to cover rent. Once he got back into it, Clark found he really loved school. Chloe and Lois were usually in his journalism classes so he had two study buddies._

_But now he was just happy to be home. His first set of finals were over. He hadn’t gotten much sleep the weeks before because he was too busy studying but they were over and he thought he did pretty well._

_Too lost in his thoughts, he didn’t realize where his feet were leading him. Snapping back to reality, he looked around and found he was in his loft. Slowly, he made his way to the opening and looked out, watching the snowflakes fall._

_Engrossed in the scene before him, he didn’t hear the footsteps approaching. Only when the familiar voice called his name did he turn._

_“Hey Clark,” a voice came from behind him. He spun, surprised and was shocked to meet amused brown eyes. Oliver Queen was standing in his loft. And when did he arrive anyway?_

_“Hi Oliver,” Clark greeted him. “What’s new?”_

_Oliver smiled. ‘He has a nice smile.’ Where had that come from? Wait, Oliver was saying something._

_“Just visiting, Clark,” Oliver told him. “Hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”_

_Clark shook his head, trying to concentrate. “No, I just got home a little while ago.”_

_“Finals done then?” Oliver asked and Clark nodded._

_There was an awkward silence where neither knew what to say. Clark decided to be the one to break it._

_“I heard you guys are doing a good job . . . with your mission,” Clark said, careful with his words._

_“Yeah,” Oliver replied, taking a seat on the couch. “We’re taking a short break now. I had some business in Metropolis to take care of.”_

_Clark sat next to him. “Will you be here for a little while?”_

_“A couple of weeks, yes,” Oliver answered. “Why?”_

_“You’ll join us for Christmas dinner then,” Clark said._

_“Oh, no,” Oliver protested. “I couldn’t.”_

_He grinned at Oliver. “I’m sorry, I must’ve phrased it to be a question. It wasn’t. You will be there at Christmas dinner and will celebrate New Year’s with us too. If you think I’m going to let you sit alone in that penthouse, you’re out of your mind.”_

_Why he cared about Oliver so much, he didn’t know. He chalked it up to caring about a friend. Then again, do friends notice how good their friends look?_

_And Oliver did look good. A dark sweater and pants . . . a simple outfit but on him, it was so much more. Clark forced himself to meet his eyes, hoping that he wasn’t being too obvious._

_“I suppose,” Oliver was saying, “if it’s an order, I have no choice but to oblige.”_

_“It’s an order,” Clark confirmed. But it was hard to focus on Oliver’s words when it would be so easy to get lost in his eyes._

_They were such a beautiful shade of brown. It was like a mirror to his soul. Everything Oliver was feeling was reflected in his eyes._

_“So Clark,” Oliver said suddenly, interrupting his thoughts. “How have you been?” He paused. “I heard about Lana . . . I’m so sorry. It’s kind of late, I know . . .”_

_“It’s okay,” Clark said quickly. “I mean, Lana’s death was not okay but it’s getting better. I’m getting better.”_

_Oliver covered Clark’s hand with his and a shiver ran through his spine at his touch. But Clark remained outwardly calm._

_“You’re strong,” Oliver told him. “I have no doubt you’ll get through this.”_

_Brown eyes met green. One look into those expressive eyes and Clark was gone. Words were flowing out before he had a moment to think about what he was saying. Before he knew it, he was telling Oliver everything- about him, about what had happened over the past couple of months._

_Once he started, he found he couldn’t stop. Didn’t stop until he reached the end of the story, at least the temporary ending. He took a few deep breaths, unable to believe that he had practically told Oliver his life story. What would he say now? Would he see him differently? Clark didn’t meet Oliver’s gaze, too embarrassed and afraid of what he would see there._

_But no words were spoken. Because all of sudden, Clark found himself wrapped in a warm embrace. Clark was taken aback for a second but returned the hug. He breathed in the citrus and Ralph Lauren cologne and something that was just purely Oliver._

_He reluctantly pulled away and stared at Oliver, blushing. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to tell you all that . . .”_

_But he was cut off by Oliver. “Don’t be sorry, don’t ever be sorry for telling people how you feel. You can trust me, you know.”_

_“I know,” Clark said softly._

_“When we first met, you were always brooding,” Oliver began. “I could never figure you out. But lately, I’ve been thinking about you and I remembered your eyes.”_

_“My eyes?” Clark repeated. Oliver had been thinking about him? And why did that cause his heart to flutter?_

_“Mmmhmm,” Oliver said, giving him a smile. “Even when you were happy, your eyes were always guarded. Except for a few moments when you were with Chloe, it was as if you were hiding. Hiding behind this façade. I didn’t understand why you had this martyr complex. You always seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Now I get it.”_

_Seeing Clark’s bewildered expression, he continued. “Thank you for trusting me with this. I promise, on my parents’ grave, that I won’t tell a soul.”_

_Clark observed the earnest expression, noted the tone of his voice. But it was his eyes that got to him. Those beautiful eyes so filled with hope that Clark couldn’t help but melt._

_“I never doubted that for a second,” Clark said honestly. “I trust you.” He was shocked at how much he meant those words._

_Oliver smiled and Clark smiled back. It was at that moment where he knew there was no point in denying it any longer. He was falling for Oliver Queen._


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe and Lois were chattering on, but Clark was lost in his own world, the memories bringing a soft smile to his face. Christmas had gone very well and so had New Year’s Eve. Oliver seemed to feel out of place in the beginning but with the help of Lois, Chloe and his mom, it didn’t take long to remove any insecurities Oliver had.

He had been impressed with Lois, who handled seeing Oliver again very well. She had been mature and the two of them had taken a few minutes to talk, to tie up the loose ends of their relationship. Clark had been jealous, but quickly saw that nothing was going on between the duo.

“Oh, Smallville!” Lois’s voice broke through his thoughts. He glanced at his friend, who was looking at him with a grin on her face. “Stop daydreaming and pay attention to us.”

“Lois, trust me, you’re impossible to ignore,” Clark joked.

“Yes, but when you’re thinking about _him_ ,” Lois pointed out, “We might as well not exist. It’s like you’re in a whole different world!”

Clark blushed. “Oh, Lois,” Chloe interjected. “Don’t tease Clark.” Clark smiled gratefully at her and she winked.

“Speaking of significant others,” Lois added. “How’s Jimmy?”

Jimmy Olsen, Chloe’s boyfriend of several years, also attended Metropolis University and would be graduating alongside the rest of them.

Chloe glanced at her watch and beamed at Lois. “He should be taking his last final right now.”

“Everything’s going well then?” Clark asked. Jimmy had become a good friend to Clark too, once he realized that he wasn’t a threat to his and Chloe’s relationship.

“It’s going great,” Chloe told them.

Clark was happy for them. Chloe and Jimmy were a great couple and he had a feeling that they would last.

Of course, thinking about romance always reminded him of Oliver. Then again, mostly everything reminded him of Oliver. He had spent months pining over the blonde before anything had actually happened between them.

It was harder because after that Christmas, Oliver was more persistent in keeping in touch. Before, they had talked but communication didn’t happen very often. Now, phone calls and e-mails were much more frequent.

Chloe had been the first one he had told his feelings to and she had been very supportive, lending an ear whenever he wanted to talk. Lois had found out when she accidentally overheard their conversation and Clark had been scared at how she would take the news. But to his surprise, she was completely calm about it, claiming that she was over Oliver. In fact, she encouraged him to tell Oliver how he felt.

But Clark was reluctant, not wanting to ruin a good friendship. He strongly believed Oliver did not reciprocate his feelings and knew he wouldn’t be able to bear his rejection.

He was almost positive if it wasn’t for Chloe and Lois, they would not have gotten together. Clark would never forget that day.

_Clark sighed as he headed toward his apartment. The day had been so long and he just wanted to go home and relax._

_He pushed the key into the lock and twisted it. Opening the door, he frowned when he saw how dark the apartment was. Where were Lois and Chloe? He shut the door and flicked the light switch. That’s when he got the shock of his life._

_“SURPRISE!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLARK!!”_

_Clark stared, mouth dropped, eyes wide, at the scene before him. The room was decorated with banners, streamers and balloons. A huge banner was against the wall that read “Happy 21st Birthday Clark”._

_He had remembered it was his birthday but he didn’t think anyone would make a big deal out of it. But apparently, his friends had. He couldn’t help but grin._

_Standing around the table were the people he cared most about. He let his eyes drift from his mother to Chloe to Jimmy to Lois to . . . Oliver? Oliver had come for his birthday too. He met the blonde’s gaze and Oliver winked, causing Clark’s heart to skip a beat._

_“Look at Smallville,” Lois said, breaking the silence. “I think we really surprised him.” She grinned at him. “You still there?”_

_“Wow,” Clark managed to say. “I . . . wow.” His dazed expression made everyone laugh._

_“Aww, Clark, you know we couldn’t forget your birthday,” Chloe chimed in, walking up to him and giving him a hug._

_“Thank you ,everyone,” Clark said, hugging Chloe briefly. “This is really nice.”_

_“Come on, Smallville,” Lois said, “There’s presents and cake . . .”_

_“Cake?” Clark echoed._

_“Don’t worry,” Lois huffed. “I didn’t make it.” Everyone laughed again._

_“Oh, Lois,” Clark said, pulling her into a hug._

_“Happy Birthday, Clark,” she whispered, using his given name for a change._

_He pulled away and looked at her, feigning confusion. “Clark? Who’s Clark?”_

_She laughed, smacking him on the arm. “Hush, Smallville.”_

_Clark just grinned and went off to greet everyone else. He hugged his mother and exchanged greetings with Jimmy._

_Finally, he came face to face with Oliver. “Hi,” he said._

_“Hey there, birthday boy,” Oliver replied, smiling._

_“I have to say I’m surprised you are here,” Clark admitted._

_“Well that is obviously your fault,” Oliver said, with a teasing smile. “I’m hurt, Clark. We’ve been keeping in touch so nicely and yet you never mentioned your birthday was coming up!”_

_“I didn’t think it was a big deal,” Clark told him._

_Oliver seemed amused at his statement. “You’re 21 . . . how is that not important?”_

_Clark shrugged, unable to come up with a proper response._

_“You’re lucky Chloe told me about the plan,” Oliver said, “Otherwise, if I’d found out later I’d missed your 21st, I’d be very sad.”_

_“And we definitely can’t have that, can we?” Clark joked._

_“All right boys.” Lois’s voice interrupted their banter. “Stop flirting and get back here.”_

_Clark blushed but they rejoined the rest of the gang. The rest of the evening went well and Clark was extremely grateful for having such great friends who would go all out for him. The cake was delicious and his mom even brought over pie._

_Later, he opened presents and was flattered at the well thought out gifts he received. He was just happy with the party and didn’t expect presents but they were nice anyway._

_Everyone was laughing and having a good time. His mom wanted to see the article he had written for the most recent school paper so he went to his bedroom to retrieve it._

_He was in the middle of searching through his bag when a knock at the door interrupted his search. Looking up, he saw Oliver standing at the door._

_“Running off from your own party?” Oliver teased._

_“Oh no,” Clark replied, and held up the paper. “Mom wanted to see the article I wrote.”_

_“I wouldn’t blame her,” Oliver said, stepping into the bedroom. “It was a very good article.”_

_“You’ve read it?” Clark asked, shock evident in his tone._

_“I’ve read everything you’ve written,” Oliver confessed, slowly closing the distance between them. “You have quite a way with words.”_

_Clark could feel his cheeks heating up. “Thanks . . . but how?”_

_“The paper is posted online too,” Oliver reminded him._

_“Oh yeah, I forgot,” Clark responded, biting his lip. He was doing his best to stay calm but it was difficult with Oliver so close._

_“Clark, I have a present for you,” Oliver said softly._

_“You already gave me a present,” Clark protested._

_“This is a different kind of present,” Oliver said in a husky voice. Clark swallowed hard at the look in his eyes. Oliver was only a couple of inches away._

_“Don’t hate me for this,” Oliver whispered._

_“Why would I . . . ?” But Clark was cut off when Oliver captured his lips with his own. He was taken aback, but only for a moment, before he gave himself fully to the kiss. It was everything he had ever dreamed of and more._

_Oliver Queen was the best kisser Clark had had the pleasure of locking lips with and part of him was wondering if it was all a dream. But the shivers that ran up and down his spine when Oliver rested an arm on the curve of his back said otherwise._

_Eventually, they had to separate, in need of air. Oliver was breathing hard and rested his forehead against Clark’s._

_“For the record,” Clark said, “I don’t hate you.”_

_Oliver laughed. “I’m glad. Because I really want to do that again.”_

_Clark couldn’t help the goofy grin that spread across his face. “Me too.”_

_“Happy Birthday, Clark,” Oliver said._

_“A happy birthday indeed,” Clark murmured before meeting Oliver’s lips once again._

Chloe and Lois had walked in on them kissing but had only been too thrilled for the couple. It turned out that when they were setting up for the party, Oliver had told Chloe about his feelings for Clark and she had given him the go ahead, hinting that Clark might not be too unreceptive if he made a move.

Watching Chloe and Lois talk, he felt like the luckiest man on Earth. That’s why he had turned down Oliver’s invitation to stay at the penthouse. It would’ve been cheaper and super convenient but Clark wanted to make his own way. That, and even though he wouldn’t admit it aloud, he enjoyed living with Chloe and Lois. The penthouse would be lonely, with Oliver constantly in Star City and Lois and Chloe were great company, whether it was for studying or their many movie nights.

However, the times that Oliver was in town, the penthouse was like his second home. He had a key and sometimes, when he was missing Oliver, he stopped by there. Even though he wished he saw Oliver more often, he had no complaints about the relationship. The two of them fit like he never thought he would fit with someone.

They were two puzzle pieces finally finding their match. There were times when he found his other half only to discover that they just didn’t fit. Though his love for Oliver caught him off guard, it was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Oliver was the best thing that ever happened to him.

He had never been this happy with anyone before or this deeply in love. His love for Lana had been a pure, almost childish love. She was the girl of his dreams and that might’ve been one of the reasons they didn’t work out. In his fantasies, he had idolized her and when they finally got together, he was not expecting the problems. Hadn’t anticipated how the lies would hurt them or how her curiosity would tear them apart.

Even if she had lived, he didn’t think they would’ve worked out. They would have both been clinging to the past and eventually, it would’ve broken them for good. He missed her sometimes but only as his friend. It wasn’t the all-consuming pain that he had felt when they first broke up.

He looked back upon their time together fondly but what he felt for her was nothing compared to what he felt for Oliver. What he was feeling for Oliver. What he knew he would always feel for Oliver. It was amazing . . . even after two years, Clark’s heart still skipped a beat when Oliver looked at him. Every time Oliver brushed against him, he still shivered at that touch.

At one point of his life, he thought he would be alone, never find that pure love his parents shared. But now he had Oliver, a man he loved more than life itself. Oliver understood him, he could tell the blonde anything and he wouldn’t judge him.

His mom had only been slightly shocked about his sexuality but accepted Oliver into the family immediately. Oliver now spent holidays with them and whenever he was in the D.C. area, he visited Clark’s mother. Clark had heard of the two of them having lunches and dinners together and it warmed his heart.

He followed his two best friends back to their apartment. He entered behind them and was puzzled when they suddenly froze.

“You know what,” Lois said, “I just realized . . . I need to go to the store.”

“The store?” Clark repeated, “What store?”

“Grocery store,” Lois said.

“I’ll come with you,” Chloe offered quickly.

Before he even had a chance to ponder their odd behavior, they were gone. He stared at the door, confused.

“What just happened?” Clark wondered aloud.

“Well,” a familiar voice said, as two arms snaked around his waist, “I think they wanted to give us some time alone.”

Clark grinned and spun around to meet warm brown eyes. “Ollie,” he breathed and captured the blonde’s lips with his own. Oliver responded fervently and Clark reveled at the feeling of being in his lover’s arms again.

Reluctantly he pulled away and smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Oliver replied.

“So this is a nice surprise,” Clark commented.

“Well you see my boyfriend is graduating in two days,” Oliver said. “I had to see him before that.”

“I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow,” Clark said happily.

“Yeah, but we haven’t seen in each other for more than a month,” Oliver pointed out. “So I decided to come here a day early.”

It was true; Oliver tried to come to Metropolis whenever he could but for the past month and a half he had been tied up in Star City and even had to go to Europe for business.

They had talked on the phone and kept in touch by e-mail, like they always did when they had to part but it was difficult. Especially when there was a time difference involved. Clark too had finals and so he was busy studying.

But it was all worth the wait. “I missed you,” Clark said softly.

“I missed you too,” Oliver said. “I’m so proud of you . . . I can’t wait to sit at your graduation and see you walk on stage . . .”

Clark blushed. “It’s just college. Lots of people are graduating; it’s really not that special.”

“Yes, but how many people are graduating summa cum laude?” Oliver challenged, with a smile. Seeing Clark’s shocked expression, he added, “Yes, I do know . . . I found out. I’m a little hurt that you didn’t tell me yourself.” He kissed Clark’s forehead. “Chloe told me . . . and you are darn lucky she did.”

“I didn’t want to brag,” Clark mumbled.

“You are just something else,” Oliver said adoringly. “Now, you’re graduating Saturday, your finals are over . . . what do you say you come stay with me in the penthouse for the next couple of days?”

“I have graduation practice tomorrow,” Clark said. Seeing disappointment creeping on Oliver’s face, he continued. “But I’m yours tonight.”

“Only tonight?” Oliver asked with a teasing smile.

“Tonight for now,” Clark said, “But after grad practice, I’m yours for however long you want me.”

“How does forever sound?” Oliver asked softly.

“Pretty damn good to me,” Clark replied with a smile. He didn’t get to say much more because Oliver’s lips covered his mouth, preventing him from talking.

Clark wasn’t too worried; now that he was out of school, they would have all the time in the world to talk and spend time together.

If he only knew how wrong he was.


	3. Chapter 3

The next couple of days went by quickly. Graduation practice was boring but he managed to get through it. The real graduation would be exciting though. He was nervous, but knowing that Oliver was in the crowd, cheering for him, eased his anxieties.

Graduating college was a big step. He’d be entering the workforce and be trying to get a job. He had done summer internships at the Planet and now that Perry White was the editor-in-chief, he hoped he could get swing a job there.

Not that he’d actually mentioned any of this to Oliver. In fact, he and Oliver had just been enjoying each other’s company, and catching up on the past couple of weeks that talks about the future hadn’t even come up.

He really hoped that Oliver didn’t expect him to go to Star City with him, but then again Oliver definitely couldn’t stay in Metropolis either. Star City was his home and it would be selfish of Clark to ask him to move.

Those worries made him even more tense but he tried his best to concentrate on the moment. His mother flew in on Friday afternoon. Both Oliver and Clark had dinner with her at the farm that evening.

Saturday was graduation, and despite Clark freaking out, everything went just fine. The thrill of going on stage to receive his diploma was one he couldn't describe. Even the fact that his "real" diploma wouldn't get to him for a few weeks did nothing to hamper the moment. It was just a nice feeling to have an incident free graduation. Clark's thoughts had strayed to his high school graduation and the meteor shower, but left just as quickly as he glanced into the audience and saw his mother and Ollie's proud faces.

Sitting together, they both smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back. He had put that joy on their faces and that made his day even better. Because he wanted to make them proud. They both meant so much to him and he didn’t know what he would do without either one of them.

Afterwards the field became a zoo. Inwardly he was thankful for the outdoor graduation, but the mess of people all looking for their friends and relatives was overwhelming. Grateful for his powers, Clark used them to locate his mother and Oliver.

Immediately after he found them, his mother engulfed him in a strong hug.

“Congratulations, sweetie,” she said, when she pulled away. “I’m so proud of you."

“Thanks, mom,” he said, planting a kiss on her forehead. “I couldn’t have done it without you."

Behind her, Oliver gave him a wink and Clark grinned back.

Oliver put a hand on his shoulder. “Congrats, Clark."

“Thanks, Ollie,” Clark replied, “I’m really glad you made it."

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Oliver proclaimed with a smile. The hand on the shoulder was as close as they were going to get now. Between his mother and the huge crowd, Clark knew it was not the time and place for a PDA. Anyway, he was sure that Oliver would more than make up for it later on, when they were alone.

They were all chatting when Chloe and her dad found them. Clark exchanged greetings with Gabe and accepted his congrats while Chloe spoke with his mom and Oliver.

Eventually they all parted ways with Clark, Oliver and his mother heading out for lunch. There was going to be a formal graduation party the next day, which he wasn't too keen on, but his mom really wanted to have one. A joint party seemed the only easy way for Clark, Chloe, and Lois to appease their parents . . . so that's what they decided to do.

Today would be the day for spending time with loved ones. Clark didn’t see both his mom and Oliver as much as he would like so he was going to take advantage of the time he had.

They spent the day together and his mom made them dinner. When he or Oliver offered to help, they were shooed away.

So Oliver and he retreated to his loft to spend some much needed time alone. Somehow, Clark managed to keep his hands off Oliver because the last thing he wanted was to explain to his mother their disheveled appearance.

Thus, they stuck to talking, with light kisses in between. It would be good enough for now.

“You did good . . . didn’t trip or anything,” Oliver said softly, as they relaxed on the couch. The couch that had been there for years but somehow remained as comfortable as when they first bought it. Clark didn’t see himself replacing it anytime soon; it contained too many too memories.

“I knew you were watching me,” Clark replied, squeezing his hand gently. “I wanted to make you proud.

“I’m always proud of you,” Oliver told him, his eyes shining with adoration.

“I love you,” Clark said. He knew Oliver knew it but he just had to say it.

“I love you too,” Oliver said. And he definitely never got tired of hearing it.

“I know,” Clark said smugly. Oliver raised an eyebrow.

“You do, do you?” Oliver asked, pulling him closer.

“Of course,” Clark continued with a smirk, “How could you not?”

“It seems I’m rubbing off on you,” Oliver whispered, leaning in for a kiss.

“In more ways than one,” Clark agreed before meeting Oliver’s lips.

His mom’s voice broke them apart. “Boys! Dinner’s ready.”

Clark tugged on Ollie’s hand and they headed for the steps. “Come on,” he said, “Dinner is waiting.”

Oliver laughed. “I will always come second to the food, won’t I?”

“Most of the time, no,” Clark said, “But it’s mom’s cooking . . . so I’m not so sure.” He gave him a grin to let him know he was just teasing.

“Oh really?” Oliver asked, taking a few steps toward him.

Clark gave him another grin and ran down the steps, Ollie close at his heels. It would be easier to use his super speed and be gone in a blast but this was much more fun.

He sped into the house and quickly ran behind his mother.

“You know that’s not the smartest plan,” Oliver pointed out, “I can still see you.”

“Protect me, mom,” Clark said. Martha laughed at their childish tactics.

“Martha,” Oliver said in a sweet voice, “Would you please move?”

“Of course, Ollie,” Martha replied and stepped out of the way. “He’s all yours.”

Clark feigned a hurt expression. “Betrayed by my own mother . . . what has the world come to?”

“It’s okay, Clark,” Oliver said, making his way to him and putting an arm around his shoulders. “I still love you.”

“That makes one person,” Clark said, pouting.

“How did you deal with him?” Oliver asked, directing the question to Martha.

“Somehow,” Martha said, sighing dramatically, “I managed.”

“You know,” Clark interrupted, “not feeling the love here.”

“What’s your point?” Oliver asked.

He tried to glare but ended up laughing, Oliver and Martha joining him moments later.

They had a very pleasant conversation over dinner and Clark almost burst into a happy dance when he saw that his mom made pie. Both his mom and Oliver burst into laughter at his excitement.

Clark was willing to stay at the farm overnight but his mom practically pushed him and Oliver out of the door. With a wink and a laugh, she said they needed some time alone. He was positive he never turned that red in his entire life. Oliver had a good laugh at his expense.

Knowing that he would see her at the party the following day, Clark left with Ollie, both heading back to Oliver’s penthouse. Where there was no talking for the next couple of hours.

Later, as they were lying in bed, Clark stared at the ceiling, a small smile on his face.

“What are you thinking about?” Oliver asked, nudging him gently. Clark shifted slightly, green eyes meeting brown.

“Just . . . how happy I am,” Clark confessed, caressing Oliver’s face. “I just can’t believe I am done with school . . .”

“It must be a little scary,” Oliver stated.

“It is,” Clark said, “But I’m not too afraid . . . as long as I’m with you, I don’t think I’m afraid of anything.”

“Come here,” Oliver said softly, and pulled Clark so he was lying on top of Oliver. “You will always have me. And as long as we’re together, you don’t need to be afraid of anything because I will be here to protect you.”

“I love you,” Clark murmured, eyes closing, sleepiness finally overtaking him.

“I love you too,” Oliver said, planting a kiss to his forehead. “But sleep now. Good night, Clark.”

“Night Ollie,” Clark said, before he finally drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

He awoke to the sunshine streaming through the windows. But he was surprised to find himself alone.

A note on the pillow made him grin. _Gone out, be back soon. Love you, Ollie._ He wished Oliver was there to wake up to but this would do. Part of him wanted to stay in bed until Oliver returned but he knew he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep and he wouldn’t be able to stay still that long anyway.

So he got up and got dressed, thankful that he had left clothes in the penthouse. He wandered to the kitchen to make himself breakfast when a noise made him freeze.

A sharp buzzing noise brought him to his knees. _Pain . . . so much pain._ He recognized this noise, it was all too familiar, even if he hadn’t felt it for years.

Somehow, he managed to get up but the noise began again. His head was spinning and there was only one way to stop it.

_The key, I need the key._ Now where did he put it? He remembered . . . it was still in Smallville. Stumbling to the balcony, he flew straight back to the farm.

Clark was careful not to wake his mom. Every few minutes the noise came back and he had to refrain from screaming. _Oh, God, I forgot to leave a note for Ollie._ But he would explain when he got back. First, he had more important business to take care of and just crossed his fingers that Oliver wouldn’t return before he did.

Upon retrieving the key, he left as quickly and quietly as he had entered. Within minutes, he was at the caves and placed the key in its appropriate spot, immediately being taken to his fortress in the Arctic.

“Jor-El!” he said loudly. “I’m here . . .”

“Hello, Kal-El,” the voice said calmly, as if he had come out of his own free will instead of being dragged.

“What do you want?” he demanded.

“I didn’t not wish to bring you here this way,” Jor-El stated, “But I had no choice. You have not come in a while and it was urgent.”

Clark was suspicious . . . his history with his biological father was not a pretty one. “What did you wish to see me for?”

“Kal-El,” Jor-El said in a firm voice. “It’s time.”

Clark’s heart sank but he tried not to assume. “Time? For what?”

“It is foolish and a waste of time to act ignorant,” Jor-El replied. “It is time for your training; you have already prolonged it longer than expected."

_No, not now. I’m not ready._ Everything was going so well; he had just graduated, was ready to begin a new chapter of his life . . . he had Oliver.

_Oh, God, Oliver._ How was he supposed to tell him about this? Despite all the talks they had about his abilities and origins, he had never discussed with him his training. He didn’t know how he had avoided the topic as long as he had but it just hadn’t come up.

“Kal-El, you need to do this,” Jor-El continued, clearly noticing he wasn’t responding. “You are much overdue. Though you have your powers, you have not reached your full potential. And only with your training can you do that.”

“I know,” Clark whispered. He did; his training was a necessity . . . so many times he had barely escaped with his life just because he didn’t have the knowledge he needed.

“Then you are in agreement,” Jor-El said, “You will come for your training.”

“How much time will it take?” Clark asked.

“That depends on you, Kal-El,” Jor-El said, “But I can assure you it will not be short.”

“And what if I say no?” Clark demanded, feeling bold. “Will you force me into it? Threaten the people I care about to get me here?”

“I will do no such thing,” Jor-El said. “I understand why you feel this way; I have to say my previous methods to get you to accept your heritage were harsh, but this time I am leaving it up to you. But you must remember, Kal-El, avoiding this will only harm you.”

He almost wished Jor-El did do something, instead of being passive like this. But the words he spoke were hitting him hard.

When he weighed the consequences of not going to his training verses leaving the people he cared about for a prolonged period of time, he knew that there was no option. He had to go . . . this information was vital to his survival.

Clark should just feel lucky he had managed to escape it as long as he had. But no more . . . what had to be done had to be done. He could only hope Oliver would understand.

“How much time do I have?” Clark asked resignedly.

“Tomorrow is a full moon,” Jor-El said, his tone pleased as he realized Clark was going to come for his training after all. “At the next full moon, you will come here and we will begin.”

That would give him about a month. It wasn’t enough but he had to deal. He had no clue how he was going to say goodbye or even begin to explain the situation.

“Okay,” Clark said softly.

“Good,” Jor-El said, “I will see you then, Kal-El.”

Clark nodded, even though he knew Jor-El was unable to see him. Saying his goodbyes, he left. His return to the penthouse took longer because he feared seeing Oliver, hated having to tell him this new development.

But he made it there and taking a deep breath, he entered. The sight before him made him feel guilty. Oliver was on the phone, speaking frantically. Clark’s arrival caused him to look up. A few short words and he hung up.

“Clark,” Oliver said and rushed into his arms. “Where did you go? I came back and you were gone . . . no note, nothing.”

“I’m sorry to have worried you,” Clark said. “I just . . . needed some air.” A blatant lie but Clark couldn’t tell him the truth, not yet. “I’m sorry I didn’t leave a note.”

Oliver searched his expression. “But you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” Clark assured him. He forced a smile. “Just . . . needed some air.”

Oliver nodded, unconvinced. “If you say so.” Oliver clearly looked like he wanted to ask more questions but was refraining from doing so. But he didn’t and Clark didn’t offer any more information.

Ollie sighed. “Have you had breakfast? I’m just making waffles . . . I figured you haven’t eaten . . .”

“Yeah, I haven’t,” Clark said. But truth be told, he wasn’t very hungry anymore. The air was so much colder now.

“Come along,” Oliver said and Clark followed him to the kitchen. They ate their breakfast in silence, both avoiding the awkwardness. Clark wished he could go back to last night when Oliver had been holding him in his arms.

He only had a month left with Oliver and he wouldn’t be able to stand it if it was all like this. _Just tell him, idiot . . . tell him what’s going on._

Not yet . . . he would. But just not yet. Oliver was the one to break the silence.

“The party starts at five, right?” Oliver asked.

“Yeah,” Clark replied, “Mom said that it would be good to begin earlier, since tomorrow is Monday and people have to work.” It was going to be at a nearby hall, so everyone could fit and dinner would be served too. At least that was what Clark was told.

“That’s good,” Oliver commented. “Is what you’re wearing in Smallville or your apartment?”

“My apartment,” Clark said.

“Let’s make a plan to leave around 4:30,” Oliver said. “I think the guest of honor should be there first, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Clark agreed. They finished up and Clark offered to help clean up but Oliver declined, saying it would be dealt with.

“Oliver?” Clark said, watching Oliver walk away, “Are you mad at me?”

Oliver stopped in his tracks and turned. “No, I’m not mad at you . . .”

Clark shuffled his feet. “You’re acting like it.”

Oliver walked back to him. “Clark, I just hate that you’re lying to me . . . and don’t try to protest. I can spot your lies a mile away . . . you know you don’t have to hide anything from me, right?”

Clark’s eyes watered. “I know . . . it’s just . . . it’s complicated.”

“I’m here for you, Clark,” Oliver said passionately, “And I love you more than anything . . . please don’t hide from me.”

“I’ll tell you, Ollie,” Clark said, “Just . . . not yet.”

Oliver accepted that answer. “Okay, Clark, I’m going to trust you on this one.” He brushed a tear that fell from Clark’s eyes with his thumb. “Hey, no tears. This is a happy day. So let’s celebrate. Whatever else we have to deal with, we’ll do it together.”

“I know,” Clark said before meeting Oliver’s lips for a brief kiss. What began as a brief kiss turned passionate quickly and landed them both back in Oliver’s bedroom, where all Clark’s problems were forgotten . . . at least for the moment.

Hours passed like minutes and before he knew it, Clark and Oliver were entering the hall, hand in hand, ready for the party. Oliver was looking gorgeous in an all black suit and Clark had chosen a forest green pinstriped shirt that brought out his eyes, along with black pants and a black jacket but no tie.

Chloe and Lois were already there and both were looking great. Chloe had gone for a blackberry halter dress that fell just below her knees while Lois had settled on a black, one shoulder silk chiffon gown. The general and Lucy were there, as well as Gabe Sullivan. His own mom bustling around, making sure everything was right and Clark couldn’t help but laugh.

Everyone important knew about their relationship so nobody was surprised at them coming in together. Surprisingly, guests began arriving exactly at five o’clock.

Soon, the party was in full swing. Everyone got along with everyone else, even those who didn’t know each other were quick to introduce themselves and make friends. It was a nice atmosphere and Clark was having a good friend.

He was chatting with one of his neighbors and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Oliver talking to somebody he didn’t recognize.

Well, he was trying to have a good time. Ever so often, he would be reminded that in a month, he would have to leave all these people and wouldn’t see them for a long time.

Chloe, his best friend and the person who knew him better than most, caught onto his tension quickly. She was shooting him worried glances all evening and finally, when she was certain nobody would notice their disappearance, she made an excuse to pull him out of a conversation and dragged him away.

“Okay Clark,” Chloe said, once they were in a private corner, “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean, Chlo?” Clark asked. _She couldn’t have figured me out, could she?_

“Clark, who do you think you’re talking to?” Chloe asked. “This is me. We’ve known each other too long to play these games. You’ve been acting strangely and I want to know why. Now spill, farm boy.”

Seeing that there was no way out of this conversation, he told her about Jor-El and his impending training. When he finished his story, he met her shocked gaze.

“Oh, Clark,” Chloe said sympathetically. “I can’t believe it . . . I mean, I always knew you were going to do your training sometime but a month is so soon!”

“I know,” Clark sighed. “But I don’t have a choice, Chlo . . . he’s right. It’s time.”

“And what did Oliver say?” Chloe wanted to know. Seeing the guilt in his eyes, she gasped. “Clark Kent, please don’t me Oliver doesn’t know.”

“He doesn’t,” Clark admitted. “We never talked about my training, he doesn’t know anything about it. He barely knows about Jor-El, except that he’s my biological father.”

“Well you have to tell him,” Chloe said.

“I don’t know how,” Clark said.

“So what are you going to do?” Chloe asked. “You can’t hide it from him forever.”

“I don’t know, Chloe . . . I just don’t know.”


	4. Chapter 4

Unknown to both Chloe and Clark, someone had noticed their disappearing act. That someone being none other than the subject of their private conversation. Oliver was making nice with one of Clark’s neighbors when he saw Clark leave with Chloe.

He had been having a good time at the party, despite the short amount of time he had gotten to spend with Clark. People were friendly and the food was good. Then he saw Chloe drag Clark away and his curiosity was piped. Knowing fully that he shouldn’t, he followed them.

But Chloe had been staring at Clark throughout the evening, shooting him concerned glances when she thought nobody was watching. Oliver was an observer by nature and he noticed Clark’s odd behavior, had seen Chloe’s expressions.

It had hurt when Clark lied about his whereabouts that morning but he knew forcing the truth out of Clark was not an option. It would only cause him to retreat further into his shell. However, he knew, as he saw Chloe pull Clark away from the crowd, that Chloe would get the truth out of him. And that make him insanely jealous.

Though Oliver really adored Chloe, thought she was a wonderful woman, he also saw that she had a connection with Clark that even he couldn’t have. She was his confidante, and the first person Clark went to with his problems. Of course, he would never express these feelings to Clark but it did hurt.

So he went after them and found them easily enough, hiding in a hidden corner of the room. Making sure he wasn’t spotted by the other guests and Clark and Chloe, he tuned into their conversation.

“Clark,” Chloe was saying, “I think Oliver deserves to know.”

_I deserve to know what?_ It seems that Chloe had gotten answers and succeeded where Oliver had failed. Oliver tried to hold in the disappointment he was feeling and waited on Clark’s response.

“Chloe,” Clark said, “I’m not sure . . . I mean, I’m so confused . . .”

“Confused?” Chloe repeated, “Or scared?”

“A little bit of both I guess,” Clark confessed.

_What did Clark have to be scared of?_ Oliver was truly worried. _Oh, Clark, please, confide in me . . . I love you._

“I think you have nothing to be afraid of,” Chloe said gently. “Clark, do you have any idea how much Oliver loves you? Don’t you think he’d understand? You two have been together long enough . . . you should talk to him.”

_This is so wrong._ Chloe was defending him to Clark . . . why would she even have to? When did Clark begin having doubts about their relationship? Why wasn’t Clark answering her?

“Clark,” Chloe continued, when she too realized Clark was not saying anything, “There is something you’re not telling me . . .”

“Chloe . . .,” Clark said, his tone despondent. “I just . . .”

“You just what, Clark?” Chloe interrupted. “Just tell me, you know I won’t judge you.”

“I want to marry Oliver,” Clark blurted out.

That’s when time froze. Oliver was certain his heart stopped beating for a moment. _Did he just say . . ._

“Did you just say what I think you said?” Chloe demanded.

“I did,” Clark replied miserably. “I want to marry Ollie . . . and it’s driving me crazy.”

Oliver backed away from the conversation; this was not meant for his ears. But he had gotten the answers he wanted. _This is why my Clark has been acting strangely._

He had to stop the goofy grin from spreading across his face as he walked away, rejoining the party. Trust Clark to be freaked out about something like this. They talked about marriage before but that had been a while ago and Clark had told him his doubts.

_“Really, mom?” Clark was saying into the phone. Oliver was lying on his bed, which he thought of as ‘their’ bed, because lately, whenever he was in it, he was in it with Clark._

_It was Spring Break for Met U students and Oliver took time off to spend with Clark. He had offered to whisk Clark off to any place in the world his heart desired but Clark had chosen to stay in Metropolis, claiming that he just wanted to spend time with Oliver. And Oliver was only too happy to oblige._

_Right now, he was content watching his boyfriend talk to his mother. ‘He’s so cute.’ Whatever Martha was saying was clearly making Clark very happy. Hopefully, Clark would share the good news once he was off the phone._

_‘How did I get so lucky’? Clark and he were approaching their two-year anniversary and he honestly couldn’t be happier. Every day, he was certain he fell in love a little more. He had taken a huge risk when he kissed Clark at his 21st birthday, but it had all turned out for the best._

_Chloe had been the one to invite him for the party and when he had talked a little too enthusiastically about Clark, she figured out his feelings. Her reaction was completely opposite to the one he expected, as was Lois’s. No discouragement, no disgust, but enthusiasm and acceptance. She pushed him to tell Clark about his feelings. Both of them had._

_So he had and that had been the best day of his life._

_“Ollie . . .” Clark’s voice brought him back to reality and he looked up to see Clark right next to him. Apparently, he had been so lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t even noticed Clark finish his phone call and climb onto the bed. Oliver scooted over so there would be more room for Clark. But Clark chose to make himself comfortable by lying on Oliver’s chest. Oliver welcomed him and wrapped his arms around him._

_“What were you thinking about so deeply?” Clark asked._

_“Just about you,” Oliver answered, kissing his forehead. “About us . . . how much I love you.”_

_“I love you too,” Clark replied, glowing at his words. He loved that he put that look there._

_“How’s your mom?” Oliver questioned._

_“Ooh,” Clark said suddenly getting up. “Mom was saying that she just finished a session and she heard some news.”_

_“Well, spill . . . it’s obviously good, from the way you’re behaving,” Oliver said. Clark grinned._

_“Okay,” Clark said, taking a deep breath. His eyes were sparkling. “Gay marriage is now legal in Kansas.”_

_Oliver’s mouth dropped. “You’re kidding?” Kansas, the center of the bible belt, had always been overall homophobic and as other states allowed for gay and lesbians to marry, they were adamant in their ways. Major cities like Metropolis were more accepting but Oliver had lost out any hope for the majority of the state. This was a huge development._

_Clark beamed, eyes sparkling and nodded. “I’m not! Mom said they just passed it and she had to tell me.”_

_“This is great news,” Oliver exclaimed._

_“I know,” Clark gushed. “I mean, we can finally . . .” Clark trailed off, eyes wide. “Not that we would . . . I mean, it’s not like I was thinking about . . .” He blushed bright red. Oliver found it adorable._

_He pulled his now reluctant and embarrassed lover into his arms again. “Clark Kent, I would be happy to marry you.”_

_Clark looked at him hopefully. “Yeah?”_

_“Definitely,” Oliver assured him._

_“Well, not yet, of course,” Clark added quickly. “I mean, I have to finish school . . . but after I graduate, I like that we have it as an option now.”_

_“Me too, Clark, me too,” Oliver responded, giving his lover a reassuring smile. “And whenever you’re ready, I’ll be waiting.”_

_“It’s just that you’re the first person I’ve considered marrying since . . .” Clark stopped but Oliver knew where he was going._

_“Since Lana?” Oliver finished._

_“Sorry I did not mean to bring her up,” Clark said._

_“Clark,” Oliver told him. “I’m not insecure; I know you love me. We can talk about Lana. Both of us have had previous relationships and don’t think for a second that I don’t understand how much she meant to you.”_

_“Have I ever told you how my father died?” Clark said suddenly. Oliver frowned; how did they go from Lana to Clark’s dad? But he assumed his lover was going somewhere with this and Oliver was always willing to lend an ear when Clark wanted to talk._

_“I know that he had a heart attack,” Oliver said cautiously._

_“That’s what everyone thinks,” Clark said sadly. “I mean, he had a heart attack and that is what killed him. But . . . there’s more.”_

_“Whatever it is, you can tell me,” Oliver said, stroking Clark’s hair._

_Clark took a deep breath and Oliver listened patiently as Clark described the day he died and Jor-El’s warning when he brought him back to life. Held him close as he explained how he finally told Lana the truth and proposed to her only to witness her death. Reassured him as Clark confessed going to Jor-El and begging for a chance to repeat the day. His heart ached for Clark, hearing the pain in his voice as he told him about the horrible consequences his decisions had cost him._

_“Do you hate me?” Clark asked in a small voice, when he was finished._

_“Oh, love, I could never hate you,” Oliver exclaimed, shocked that he even asked such a question. “Why would you think that?”_

_“It was selfish,” Clark mumbled, “I mean, to save Lana, my dad died . . . and if it wasn’t for me, nobody would’ve died . . .”_

_“Don’t say that,” Oliver interjected fiercely. He lifted Clark’s face to meet his and pressed his lips on Clark’s, engaging him in a passionate kiss. Pulling away, he said, “I am glad Jor-El revived you, because honestly, my life wouldn’t be the same if I hadn’t met you. The world wouldn’t be the same without you in it. Trust me, nobody blames you for your father’s death. I know that if you knew going back would kill your father, you wouldn’t have done it, no matter how much you loved Lana.”_

_Clark’s eyes were shimmering with tears. “God, how did I get so lucky to end up with you?”_

_“Love, we’re both lucky,” Oliver said softly. “Now, rest, you need to sleep . . .”_

_“It was supposed to be a happy day,” Clark sighed, “I mean, with the news and all . . . I just wanted to let you know how intense I feel about you and if I get nervous about proposing marriage, you’ll know.”_

_“Who said you’ll be doing the proposing?” Oliver teased, “I am perfectly capable of going down on one knee.”_

_Clark’s eyes were twinkling. “Oh, I know you’re good on your knees . . .”_

_“Clark Kent,” Oliver laughed, “That’s not what I said and you know it.”_

_“I can’t help it if I have selective hearing,” Clark said, shrugging._

_“And,” Clark added with a growl, “I think I like my interpretation better.”_

_As Clark’s lips met his, Oliver quickly found out he did too._

_Good times,_ Oliver thought with a smile. But now he knew . . . of course that was why Clark was afraid of wanting to get married. They hadn’t brought up the subject since that night. Oliver had meant what he said . . . if Clark was even thinking of getting married, he would run and buy a ring this instant.

Because he could . . . no, he _needed_ to spend the rest of his life with Clark. He made a decision: tonight, he would subtly bring up the idea of marriage. Show Clark that he still wanted to marry him.

Everything would be fine. Oliver would make sure of it.

“Everything will not be fine,” Clark snapped, trying to keep his voice low, as so not to attract attention.

“Clark, I do not see the bad in you wanting to marry Oliver,” Chloe pointed out. “I honestly think it’s adorable . . . I can see it now! You two in your matching tuxes . . . oh, that would be so cute.”

Clark stared at his best friend in disbelief. _Was she nuts?_

“Chloe,” Clark hissed, “Don’t you see? I have to go on my training . . . I’m leaving in a month. And I don’t know when I will be back.”

“Well, then you’ll have to wait for the wedding, won’t you?” Chloe asked. She looked thoughtful. “Unless, you two want to elope. Personally, I wouldn’t suggest it, because I think your mom would have her heart set on a big wedding . . .”

“Chloe!” Clark interrupted her. “Don’t you see? My wanting to get married is a major problem.”

“You keep saying that,” Chloe argued, “And you’re not telling me what exactly the issue is. And besides, I thought were discussing your having to leave for your training and your inability to tell Oliver that you have to leave. How did we get to marriage?”

“Chloe,” Clark explained, “After the gay marriage bill passed a few months ago, Oliver and I talked about getting married. In fact, I mentioned I was very interested after I graduated. If I remember, he definitely remembers.” He ran his hands through his hair. “My graduating was supposed to be a step forward for us. How am I supposed to break it to him that we won’t see each for God knows how long?”

“Maybe your training won’t take that long,” Chloe offered.

“Jor-El said that it would take a while, no doubt about it,” Clark informed her. He paused. “Look, can we talk about this later? People are going to notice us missing and Ollie will be the first. I don’t want to have to explain anything.”

“All right, Kent,” Chloe said, “But tomorrow, we’re going to talk about this . . . you refuse to talk about it with Oliver so I’m going to be the one to get you through this.”

“Tomorrow sounds good to me,” Clark agreed. “Want to meet for lunch? I can cook us something. Mom will be gone tomorrow morning anyway so the farm will be empty.”

“I’ll be there around noon,” Chloe promised. “Now come on, let’s go socialize.” She started to move, but he grabbed her arm.

She stopped. “Clark?”

“I just wanted to say . . . thank you,” Clark said. “For everything . . . sometimes I wonder if you have any idea how much you mean to me. If I don’t say it later or if something should happen during my training . . .”

“Clark, hush,” Chloe said quickly. “Nothing will happen. You will go to your training, learn lots of stuff and come back here to be the superhero I know you're meant be.”

“But if something should happen,” Clark persisted. “I want to say thanks. I don’t say it enough and I definitely don’t appreciate you as much as I should. You’re my rock and if you weren’t here, I’d probably be dead.”

“Clark . . .” Chloe started.

“No, Chlo, I have to say this,” Clark insisted. “I just want you to know . . . you’re my best friend and . . . I love you.”

Two arms were around his waist and Chloe pressed her face against his chest. “If my mascara runs, Clark Kent, you’re history,” she said, sniffling slightly. Hazel eyes met green. “But you don’t need to thank me. I’m glad to be here for you. And I love you too, you big oaf.”

Clark laughed and held her close for a moment. He pulled away and smiled at Chloe. She beamed back.

“Now come along,” Chloe said. “People will get suspicious and if they notice us coming out together, they’ll think we’re having a torrid affair or something.”

“You mean we’re not?” Clark asked, a look of mock disbelief on his face.

“Kent, you can’t handle me,” Chloe said smugly, as they walked back into the crowd, “That’s why I graciously gave you to Oliver.”

“Gave me to Oliver?” Clark repeated, amused, “You think highly of yourself, don’t you?”

“Can you blame me?” Chloe retorted, “I practically set the two of you up!”

“And for that, I am very grateful,” a voice came from behind them. They turned at the same time to see Oliver smiling at them. Chloe recovered first.

“Hi Oliver,” she greeted him. “Enjoying the party?”

“Definitely,” Oliver said. “I’ve met some interesting people . . . why didn’t anyone warn me Lois’s father was so scary?”

“Oh hi there, General Lane,” Clark said calmly, causing Oliver to spin around frantically. When he saw there was no one there, he scowled, which caused Clark and Chloe to burst into laughter.

“That was just pure evil,” Oliver said, shaking his head.

“Makes us even for the sneak attack,” Clark countered. “Yeah, but seriously, Ollie, we all don’t call him the General for nothing.”

“Good point,” Oliver conceded.

“I’m impressed you managed to survive with all the crazy relatives and family friends, Oliver,” Chloe added.

“They’re not so bad,” Oliver said. “Once they realized that I’m not trying to corrupt the town angel over here, I’m perfectly suitable.”

“Town angel?” Clark asked, bemused. Chloe just giggled.

“You two are adorable,” Chloe announced. “Now if you excuse me, I see my boyfriend looking rather lonely. I’ll see you two around.”

They watched her leave and then Clark turned back to Oliver.

“You think I’m an angel?” Clark asked coyly.

“Closest to heaven that I’ll ever be,” Oliver said softly.

“Quoting song lyrics now, Ollie?” Clark teased.

“Can’t help it if it applies,” Oliver pointed out. “All right you . . . let’s go talk to people. If you give me any more time alone with you, I might kiss you, and I don’t think your neighbors would appreciate a PDA.”

“I don’t know about them,” Clark said, “But I certainly wouldn’t mind.”

“Later,” Oliver said with a wink.

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Clark said with a slight leer.

“You’re awful,” Oliver said, shaking his head.

“That’s not what you were saying this morning,” Clark said, with a smirk.

“Now I’m certain you’ve been around me too much,” Oliver laughed.

He was going to retort but before he was given a chance, someone approached them, offering their congratulations. Clark quickly introduced Oliver and the three of them had a pleasant conversation.

The rest of the evening was busy and Clark managed to get his mind off his problems. He was eternally thankful for Oliver, who charmed and won over even the most stoic of his family friends. Clark could’ve sworn even the General smiled once.

The party ended at a reasonable hour and the minute Clark and Ollie got back to the penthouse, Clark made sure to show Oliver exactly how much he appreciated him.

_Maybe Chloe was right,_ he thought, later, _maybe everything will be okay after all._

“Clark?” Oliver murmured sleepily, “You still awake?”

“I’m just thinking,” Clark said, “You sleep . . .”

“No, no,” Oliver said, “I’m up.”

“You’re tired, Ollie,” Clark replied. “I am going to sleep soon too. It’s been a long day for the both of us.”

“Clark,” Oliver said, hesitatingly, “I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”

_I don’t like that tone._ “About what?” Clark asked.

“Remember a few months ago, we had the marriage talk?” Oliver questioned.

_Oh no._ “Yes, I do,” Clark responded. “What of it?”

“Well you said you wanted to consider marriage after you graduated,” Oliver reminded him. “And now that you have . . . well, I don’t want to pressure you but I want you to know that I’m still interested in that option.”

“You want to get married now?” Clark repeated, trying to refrain from stuttering.

“Not now,” Oliver said, biting his lip, “I know you want to look for a job but . . . I think we should move our relationship forward. Living together first and maybe we can consider marriage within the next year. I think it’s time, don’t you? We have been dating for two years . . .”

“Yeah, we have,” Clark agreed.

“It’s important for a relationship to go forward, not back,” Oliver continued confidently.

Clark’s stomach tightened. “It is.”

“Well we can talk more about this in the morning,” Oliver said. He gave him a quick kiss and then snuggled into the covers.

“In the morning,” Clark echoed, “Right. I’m having lunch with Chloe tomorrow afternoon though. Just wanted you to know.”

“Tomorrow, day after, whenever,” Oliver said. Clark could tell he was drifting off. “We have all the time in the world.” He yawned. “Good night Clark.”

“Good night, Ollie,” Clark responded. Oliver fell asleep a few minutes later but Clark was now wide-awake.

_He wants to get married, he wants to move forward._ How could he tell him that their relationship would have to be put on hold while he completed his obligations?

Oliver would not be happy . . . and now he wasn’t even sure that he would wait. The man had plainly stated he didn’t want their relationship to go backwards! And him leaving for his training was essentially doing just that!

Then again, Oliver loved him and he doubted that Ollie would be the one to end it. He might wait patiently but did Clark really want to force him to wait? I can't do that to him. He wants marriage and wants it now. It wouldn’t be fair.

Clark didn’t want it to end this way but it seemed that he had no other choice. No matter how much it was going to destroy him in the process.

He was going to have to break up with Oliver.


	5. Chapter 5

Sleep did not come easy that night, but he tried his best not to shift too much, in fear of waking Oliver. How or when he finally fell asleep, he could not recall. But he definitely thought morning came too soon. When the alarm clock went off, Clark had to stop himself from breaking it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Oliver shifting. “What’s the alarm for?” he murmured.

“It’s nothing,” Oliver said, kissing his forehead. “I just have a conference call. You sleep.”

“What’s the time?” he asked, rubbing his eyes, trying to adjust to the bright lights.

“7:30,” Oliver answered.

“Wake me up after your call,” Clark told him. “I’m having lunch with Chloe and I’m meeting her at the farm at noon. I’m going to cook for us . . .”

“Why didn’t you just meet at a restaurant and save yourself the trouble?” Oliver questioned.

“Too many people,” Clark said drowsily, still half asleep, “Wanted to talk alone.” He didn’t see the frown that creased Oliver’s features at his words.

“I’ll wake you up,” Oliver promised.

“Mmkay,” Clark said and let sleep overtake him.

He didn’t know how long he was sleeping but he awoke to the smell of fresh pancakes and coffee. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to see Oliver holding a tray of food and smiling lovingly.

“Oliver?” Clark said, sitting up. “What’s this?”

“This, my love,” Oliver said, placing the tray on Clark’s lap, “Is me making you breakfast in bed.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Clark said, blushing. He looked at food, which looked absolutely delicious. “What time is it? Have you eaten?”

“I’ve eaten, love,” Oliver assured him. “And the time is 10:30.”

“10:30?” Clark repeated, “Oh, no, I overslept . . . I have to go and meet Chloe and . . .” He was cut of with a pair of firm lips on his own.

Oliver pulled away. “You have nothing to worry about. I called Chloe and rescheduled your lunch. The two of you are now meeting at the apartment at one, instead of noon. She said she’ll bring food.”

“You’re amazing,” Clark breathed.

Oliver grinned. “So you tell me. Now, eat before the food gets cold.”

Clark slipped out of bed, making sure he didn’t disturb the tray. “Let me just freshen up.” He walked to the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

_How did I get so lucky?_ What a great morning he was having . . . Oliver had to be the best boyfriend in the entire universe. _I want to be with him always and forever._

Then, his decision that he made the previous night, the one that ruined his sleep, came back, like a slap in the face.

_No, I can’t, not now._ How was he supposed to break up with Oliver? One thing was for certain: leaving was not going to be easy.

He quickly got ready, deciding to save the shower for after breakfast and headed back into the bedroom. His Ollie looked gorgeous . . . well, he always did but standing there in a plain white suit, he took Clark’s breath away. _I don’t have much longer with him, so damn it, I’m going to enjoy every second I have._

Clark slid back into the bed and beamed at Oliver, who just laughed in response.

“The coffee has probably gotten cold by now,” Oliver said, disappointedly. There was also a slight pout on his face but Clark wouldn’t point that out.

Clark raised an eyebrow. “No problem.” He aimed his heat vision at the cup for a second. “See, warm again.”

He smiled shyly upon seeing Oliver watching him in awe. “What?”

Oliver broke into a smile. “I love seeing you use your powers . . . and that you trust me so much to use it them so freely . . .”

“Oliver, I _love_ you,” Clark declared. “And I trust you . . . you’re one of the most important people in my life. I told you I trusted you 2 ½ years ago and we weren’t even dating then!”

_Oh, Ollie, why do you have to make this so difficult?_ Maybe, maybe now would be a good time to tell Oliver what was going on, the situation. They were both in a good mood . . . Oliver would understand. Happy and relieved, he took a bite of his pancakes.

“Ollie,” Clark said, “These are great! If you ever think of leaving corporate work, you should go into cooking. How did you know I like chocolate chip pancakes?”

Oliver laughed. “It’s nice to know I have a back up plan. I think your mom mentioned it before . . . and if I recall, you told me once too.”

“Good memory,” Clark said. He held out a fork. “Want some?”

“No thanks,” Oliver replied, shaking his head.

“This was very nice of you,” Clark said, after he finished the pancakes and downed the rest of the coffee.

“Don’t worry, love,” Oliver promised, “This will definitely not be the last time . . . remember, we have all the time in the world.”

Clark’s smile faded. “Yeah . . . all the time in the world. Right.” He hesitated. “What if . . . what if we don’t? I mean, we should enjoy the moment too. You never know what could happen tomorrow. And . . . we might even get temporarily separated. I might end up working right here in Metropolis and you’ll be in Star City . . .”

“Clark, you’re being paranoid,” Oliver said dismissively. He waved his hand. “I know I have a dangerous . . . pastime but I’m sure you’ll be joining me soon enough. Besides, if you really want to work in Metropolis, I’ll run my business from here.” He smiled warmly. “We did that separation when you were in college. That’s why graduating was such a big step for our relationship.”

“But it worked then!” Clark said, an edge of desperation to his tone.

“Yes,” Oliver said thoughtfully. “It did work . . .” Clark thought he had won, and was about to tell Oliver about his training.

Then Oliver continued. “But it was hard. Clark, I want to see you every day, not just hear your voice on the phone. We did it then because we had to. But now we don’t have to anymore . . . we can be with each other.”

“Wait,” Clark said suddenly, processing Oliver’s words, “What did you mean I’ll be joining you soon?”

“What?” Oliver said. “Oh, yeah, Clark, you always knew I wanted you to join me in crime fighting. There were two major factors preventing you before . . . the Zoners and the completion of your studies. Well, the Zoners are gone and you’ve graduated . . . it only makes sense that I would expect that the time has come.”

“You seem to have many expectations,” Clark muttered. This conversation was not going the way he hoped it would.

“None of which are unreasonable, Clark,” Oliver pointed out.

“Yes, but most of which have to do with _my life_ ,” Clark reminded him.

“You’re acting as if you don’t want this too,” Oliver said unhappily. “These requests are not too outrageous. What if wrong with me planning a future with you by my side? And you’re the one who always said you couldn’t wait to join the team . . . what’s changed?”

“Nothing’s changed, Ollie,” Clark assured him. “It’s just . . . look, it’s a lot to process right now. I just graduated two days ago. And . . . I’ve had a long night. I don’t know why, I couldn’t sleep and I’m not used to sleeping this late . . . just give me some time.”

Oliver pursed his lips but nodded. “All right, take your time. But we need to talk about this soon.”

He picked up Clark’s empty tray. “I’ll take that.”

“I can get it,” Clark protested but Oliver gave him a weak smile.

“Relax, Clark, you should go get dressed,” Oliver replied. _How did this morning take a turn for the worse so quickly?_

Clark tried to salvage the day. “Thank you for making me breakfast; I really do appreciate it.” He got out of bed and gave Oliver a quick kiss.

“You’re welcome,” Oliver said, smiling. But the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. _This is not good._

“I’m going to go take a shower,” Clark said. Oliver nodded.

“Okay, I’ll be in my office,” Oliver said and left. LEFT! No jokes about joining him in the shower or anything.

_I’m making him miserable._ Oliver was willing to do anything to be by his side, including leaving the home in which he had grown up. How could he tell him that he had to leave and there was nothing Ollie could do about it?

_It’s not fair._ For either one of them. Clark had to go for his training, he wasn’t going to refuse his destiny any longer. But Ollie needed someone who was there constantly and Clark couldn’t be that person.

_I wish I could stay._ But it would be so much worse than if he left. The consequences of not completing his training were dire. This was vital information he was receiving and he had to go.

_This is not the way it was supposed to be._ But it was the way it was going to be. Fate had played a cruel trick on him. They had given him this wonderful, perfect man . . . his soul mate . . . and forced him to leave him.

_There is no other choice._ He had to stick with his original plan. Oliver would find someone else someday. Someone who could be there for him, who could love him like Clark couldn’t.

_It’ll kill me to do this._ And it would. He was not sure if he would ever recover and was almost positive he could not love someone the way he loved Oliver. But it was only right.

Depressed at his decision but determined to do the right thing, Clark set off for a shower.

In another room in the penthouse, Oliver was wondering where he went wrong. _What is up with Clark lately?_

His boyfriend had been acting strangely. He was talking about separation and not being together all the time . . . Oliver didn’t understand. But it scared him. Oliver was sure that once Clark finished school, they could begin their lives together.

_What happened?_ That was a question he couldn’t answer and it didn’t seem that Clark was volunteering any information either. _At least not to me._

“But he’s more than happy to spill everything to Chloe,” Oliver muttered bitterly. It was petty, but sometimes, he had to behave immature and jealous. Even if it was one of Clark’s best friends, one of their biggest supporters and the nicest person Oliver’s ever met.

_What do I do?_ They couldn’t keep going on like this. Clark and he had never kept any secrets from one another and he wasn’t going to start now.

Demanding the truth had already been nixed. However, he didn’t think he could stand waiting any longer.

_I’ll give you today, Clark,_ he said silently, _go figure out what you have to with Chloe. But then, we are going to settle this._

He wasn’t going to lose Clark . . . whatever issues Clark was having, he would help him get through it.

Oliver Queen was not a quitter. And he was going to fight for this relationship with everything he had.

First, he was going to go see if his boyfriend was out of the shower. Clark in a towel . . . one sight he definitely didn’t want to miss out on.

Clark stepped out of the shower, slightly more refreshed. He didn’t know how it happened but he was thinking about leaving Oliver and the tears just started coming. Before he knew it, he was crying in the shower.

He had to make sure he didn’t look like it when he came out. Last thing he needed was Oliver getting more suspicious.

Walking into the bedroom with just a towel wrapped around his waist, he groaned when he realized in his haste, he forgot to leave out a set of clothes.

“Now where did I put my clothes?” Clark wondered aloud.

“You know, if you can’t find them, it wouldn’t be the worst thing,” a voice came from behind him. He spun around to see Oliver at the door, smirking.

“Oliver!” he gasped.

“What?” Oliver said innocently, “I’m just admiring the view.”

“Do you like what you see?” Clark teased.

Oliver smiled. “I always do.”

“Help me find my clothes,” Clark requested. “Which closet or drawer are they in?”

Oliver closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Clark’s waist.

“Is that really necessary?” Oliver asked suggestively, “Clothes are highly overrated.”

Clark didn’t know what caused Oliver to do a 180 but he wasn’t going to question his boyfriend’s playful attitude.

“I don’t think Chloe would feel that way,” Clark pointed out. “She may expect me in clothes when we have lunch.”

Oliver grinned. “I don’t know, if she has eyes, I think that she definitely wouldn’t mind seeing this.” He paused. “However, you may be quite distracting.” He kissed Clark’s bare shoulder. “I put them in the right side of the closet . . . that’s your side.”

Clark smiled. “Thank you.” He reluctantly removed himself from Oliver’s embrace and headed toward said area, knowing fully that Oliver’s eyes were trained on him.

“Why did you need to ask me anyway?” Oliver asked. “Last time I checked, you have x-ray vision.”

“If you hadn’t told me, I would’ve used it,” Clark explained, “But that takes the fun out of our games.”

He could hear Oliver smirking while he picked out something to wear.

After finding a decent outfit, he turned to Oliver. “Do you plan to watch me get dressed?”

Oliver raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to put on a show?”

_We’re flirting . . . but I can’t, I can’t do this. I can’t get my hopes up again. If Oliver is to believe a breakup, I have to start pulling away now._

He grew serious. “I’m going to get dressed and you,” he pointed to the door, “are leaving.”

“Do I have to?” There was that pout again . . . he was really testing Clark’s willpower.

“Shoo,” Clark insisted.

“All right,” Oliver said playfully. Clearly he thought Clark was just joking around. “I will get you back for this.” Clark didn’t even crack a smile but Oliver didn’t see it, as he was heading toward the door.

After the door shut, Clark quickly put on his clothes. One glance at the mirror to make sure he was presentable, and he was out the door.

“Bye Ollie,” he called out, not waiting for his boyfriend to respond. “I’m leaving now.” He hurried into the elevator.

He saw Oliver appear. “Hey Clark, when will you be back . . .” But he was cut off by the closing of the elevator door.

Clark leaned against the elevator, sighing in relief. The minute he was on the ground, he found a private place and super sped back to their apartment. Their lease was almost up and Clark made a mental note to start moving their things out.

Using his key, he entered the apartment. Chloe was already there, unpacking food.

“Hey Chlo,” he greeted her. “Sorry about the change in plans . . . I promise I’ll cook for you another time.”

“Clark, you’ve cooked for both Lois and me plenty,” Chloe replied with a grin. “I’m more than happy to take care of lunch. I picked up soup and sandwiches from that place we like.”

Clark nodded; they made good food. “That’s cool.”

“We will eat and I’m thinking we have some serious talking to do,” Chloe declared.

“Do you have a sixth sense for this stuff?” Clark questioned.

“My sixth sense is Clark reading,” Chloe informed him. “And I’ve mastered it with years of practice.”

“You are quite good at it,” Clark agreed.

“Yeah, well, someone has to be,” Chloe said, shrugging. “Now, come, have lunch. We can talk about your problems afterwards.”

Clark knew better than to defy Chloe so he did as he was told. They had a pleasant lunch, making sure they stayed away from dangerous topics.

But right after, Chloe didn’t waste a moment. She wanted answers.

“Clark,” she said, “You only don’t sleep when you’re stressing . . . so what’s going on?”

“This thing with Oliver is tearing me apart, Chlo,” Clark sighed, “I don’t know what to do.”

“You still haven’t told him about the training haven’t you?” Chloe asked. “Just sit him down and explain what is going on. Oliver’s a reasonable man, he’ll understand you have duties.”

“I was going to tell him,” Clark explained, “But then he went off on how we’re going to be together and we won’t have to worry about being apart anymore . . .”

“Oh man,” Chloe said.

“He’s talking about marriage and it’s all so complicated now,” Clark said, “I tried to bring up the issue of separation but he won’t even consider it! I didn’t have the heart to tell him.”

“Clark, you’re going to tell him sometime,” Chloe said gently. “You know that. You can’t just disappear without a word of explanation.”

Clark was silent and worry creased Chloe’s features. “Oh no, Clark, I know that look . . . what stupid plan are you concocting now?”

“I am going to break up with Oliver,” Clark said firmly.

Chloe groaned. “It’s dumber than I thought. Clark, what is wrong with you? You’re madly in love with him . . . breaking up is not the answer. It’s the coward’s way out.”

“What else am I supposed to do Chloe?” Clark asked sadly. “I can’t tell him about my training . . . and even if I did, how selfish would I be to make him wait? He wants marriage, he wants a lifelong commitment now. Shouldn’t he be able to get that? Even if it’s not with me?”

“Shouldn’t he be able to make his own decision and be given the options?” Chloe retorted.

“Chloe . . .” Clark began but she didn’t give him a chance to speak.

“No, Clark,” Chloe argued, “Oliver should hear this. Then, if he doesn’t want to wait, then that’s one thing. But to make the decision for him is really unfair. But he might surprise you, Clark.”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Clark confessed, “I don’t want him waiting. Not when I don’t know how long this is going to take.”

“But it would give you a good reason to finish sooner,” Chloe persisted. “An incentive to come back.”

“No, Chloe, I can’t,” Clark said. “This is the way it’s got to be.”

Chloe’s shoulder slumped; she knew when Clark had made a decision. He was stubborn, and when he had decided something, he wasn’t going to back down. No matter how insane it was.

“Clark,” she tried again, “Are you really going to be able to do this? Look Oliver, look the man you _adore_ , in the eyes and break up with him? What are you going to say when he asks ‘why’? What explanation are you going to give when he demands to know what went wrong? Could you walk away, knowing you’re breaking his heart?”

Clark crumpled. He hadn’t thought of the actual breaking up process . . . in fact, he had pushed it out of his mind.

“Clark, he’ll see through you in an instant,” Chloe said, seeing Clark’s determination fading.

“You’re right, Chloe,” Clark said slowly.

_That was easy,_ Chloe thought. Breaking through Clark’s barriers and changing his mind hadn’t been as much work as it usually was.

“I can’t break up with Oliver,” Clark declared.

“Exactly,” Chloe said triumphantly. _You go, Sullivan._ But Clark’s final words wiped the smile off her face.

“He has to break up with me.”


	6. Chapter 6

Chloe was staring at him as if he was a lunatic.

“Clark,” she said, “That wasn’t exactly the realization I was expecting. I was hoping for more of an ‘I can’t break up with Ollie’ and ‘I have to go tell him the truth now’ type thing.”

“Chloe, you know that’s not an option,” Clark told her.

“How is that not an option?” Chloe demanded. She looked frustrated and Clark didn’t blame her. Chloe was their biggest supporter and she really cared about Oliver . . . of course she would be furious at him for talking about breaking his heart.

“Look, Chloe,” Clark started but Chloe was quick to cut him off.

“How is that not an option?” she repeated. “I mean, how hard is it going to Oliver and saying ‘hi, Ollie, look, my psycho biological father is making me go on this training and I need the info to stay alive so I have to leave in a month. But I love you and want to be with you and I know we can make it through this hurdle’.”

Clark smiled sadly. “You make it sound so easy.”

“That’s because,” Chloe countered, “it is easy. You’re the one who is overcomplicating matters.”

“But in the end, it will be simpler,” Clark argued. “I mean, even if we stayed together, I don’t know a thing about my training. Where it will take place, how long it will take or how it will go about . . . there’s a chance I might not be able to contact Ollie at all.”

“Clark,” Chloe said patiently, “You will find a way. I know you . . . and I believe in you. Even if you can’t see each other, it’s not like Oliver will be sitting around idly. He has a company to run, and a team that requires much of his time. Besides, if he is ever lonely for company, both your mom and I will take good care of him.”

“Things will be different when I return,” Clark protested. “Who knows what will happen in my training? And what if he meets someone when I’m gone? He should be free; it’s not fair that he would be tied down.”

“Haven’t you ever heard the phrase ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’?” Chloe asked. “I know him and I’ve seen the two of you together. Don’t you notice the way he looks at you? He loves you so much . . . I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.” She smiled warmly. “Clark, I think for him, you’re it. You’re the one for him.”

“But how will he know if he doesn’t explore?” Clark pleaded.

Chloe snorted. “Clark, this is Oliver Queen . . . I’m sure he’s been around the block a couple of times. He’s seen his options and he picked you. He doesn’t seem to regret it so stop putting words in his mouth.”

“You made good points,” Clark conceded. “But I made my decision . . .”

“I love you a lot, Clark,” Chloe said, “But sometimes, I swear, you’re so stupid and stubborn . . .”

“I’m sorry you feel that way, Chlo,” Clark stated. “If I didn’t have to do this, I wouldn’t. But in the long run, it will be the best choice.”

“You’ve made up your mind,” Chloe sighed, “I can see that. But how on Earth are you going to get Oliver to break up with you?”

“I don’t know,” Clark admitted. “I won’t be able to break up with Oliver so I have to trick him into breaking up with me.”

“No offense Clark,” Chloe said, “But you’re not exactly the sneaking and plotting type . . . there’s no way you’ll pull the wool over Oliver’s eyes.”

“I have to, Chlo,” Clark insisted. “This is the only way.”

“Clark,” Chloe said. “Oliver really loves you . . . short of you cheating on him, there’s no way that he will break up with you.”

Clark’s eyes lit up at her last statement and Chloe’s stomach sank.

“Clark,” Chloe said slowly, “Please don’t tell me you’re going to do what I think you’re going to do . . .”

“You just gave me a great idea, Chloe,” Clark declared.

_Oh no,_ Chloe thought, _this is not going to be good._

“Clark, please don’t say you’re going to cheat on Oliver,” Chloe replied, “I will have to kick your ass.”

“I’m not going to cheat on Ollie,” Clark said, looking horrified.

“Good,” Chloe said, relieved.

“I’m going to make him _think_ I’m cheating on him,” Clark corrected her.

“Please tell me you’re joking,” Chloe said hopefully.

Clark shook his head. “No, I’m serious.”

“My best friend is an idiot,” Chloe said, shaking her head.

“Chloe!” Clark exclaimed. But _his_ best friend was furious.

“Do you expect me to support this?” Chloe yelled. “How can I just stand here and watch you destroy the best relationship of your life? Hurting not only yourself but also the man you love? Breaking up with him would’ve hurt him greatly but do you have any idea what this will do to him?”

“Of _course_ I do, Chlo,” Clark shot back, “I know, because it’s killing me just thinking of it. Just thinking of letting Ollie believe that I’m anything but faithful to him, just _imagining_ his face when he believes that I’m cheating . . . I don’t know what I’m going to do when that moment comes.” He choked, tears shimmering in his eyes.

“Then why are you doing this?” Chloe wanted to know, her anger dying when she noticed the pain Clark was in.

“The last time I got convinced to go to Jor-El, I came back as Kal-El,” Clark remembered. “I was bent on fulfilling my destiny. If it wasn’t for my mom, I would’ve stayed that way.” He met Chloe’s gaze. “I don’t really trust Jor-El, despite the fact he’s stopped threatening my loved ones to get to me. We have a history and I plan to be wary of this training, no matter how much I need it. I’m going to go and give it my all but don’t think for a second that I trust him.”

“So what does this have to do with Oliver?” Chloe questioned.

“It has everything to do with Oliver,” Clark explained. “I don’t know the person I’m going to come back after my training . . . I’m frightened of what it will do to me. I can’t make a promise to Oliver to return when I don’t even know that myself.”

“But you’ll be okay,” Chloe said fearfully, “I mean, Jor-El wouldn’t kill his only son!”

“Who knows what he will do?” Clark said. “It’s just best that we part ways now, before I hurt him even more later.”

He bit his lip and looked pleadingly at Chloe. “I need you, Chlo. I know you don’t support this or agree with what I’m doing . . . but I just have to. _Please,_ please help me.”

_I can’t believe he’s doing this._ Chloe saw how desperate he was. She hated this plan, hated what Clark was doing. But it was Clark. And she loved him too much to deny him anything.

“Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll help you . . . I don’t like it but I will.” Clark smiled gratefully, but the pain in his eyes was evident.

_I’m so sorry, Oliver,_ she said silently.

“All right then,” Chloe said finally, “We have to form a plan . . . if we are going to do this, we’ll have to do it right.”

“Thanks, Chloe,” Clark said. _What would I do without her?_ He didn’t want to find out.

“I’m always here for you, Clark,” Chloe replied, “You can always come to me.”

“I know, and I appreciate it,” Clark said honestly.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Chloe said firmly. “Shall we begin?”

Clark nodded. “Yeah, we can.” He took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

_Where are you?_ Oliver glanced, for what felt like the millionth time, at his clock. Clark had left hours ago and his sudden departure was still on Ollie’s mind. It was almost as if he was running away. He didn’t even get a goodbye kiss.

Oliver made a quick decision and dialed Clark’s cell phone. And waited. One ring, two rings, three rings . . . Clark had never taken this long to pick up. Four rings, five rings . . . it was going to the answering machine. Oliver hung up.

Clark always picked up his cell phone. Something was wrong . . . he could just sense it. More than a little concerned, he dialed the number to Clark’s apartment. And waited. But the call ended up going to the machine again.

“3rd time’s the charm,” Oliver muttered. Clark was probably still with Chloe and he knew the blonde had to have her cell phone with her.

Silently congratulating himself on his good memory, he quickly dialed Chloe’s cell number. She picked up within two rings.

“Sullivan,” Chloe answered.

“Chloe, it’s Oliver,” Oliver said.

“Oh hi, Oliver,” Chloe replied cheerfully. “What’s up?”

“I was actually hoping to speak with Clark,” Oliver said. “I wanted to know when he would be returning.”

There was a pause. “Oliver,” Chloe said slowly, “Clark’s not with me.”

Oliver froze. “Excuse me?”

“I said he’s not with me,” Chloe said again. “I thought he was with you.”

“No, he is not with me,” Oliver responded icily. “If he was, I wouldn’t be calling you to try and find him, now would I?”

“No need to be rude about it,” Chloe shot back, sounding offended. “I’m not the one who doesn’t know where my boyfriend is.”

Oliver sighed. “You’re right and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just worried about Clark. I tried calling his cell phone and I called the apartment . . . I just don’t like the feeling of not knowing where he is.”

Chloe’s tone softened. “Look, Oliver, I’m sure he’s fine. Clark’s a big boy; he can take care of himself.”

“I guess . . .” Oliver said doubtfully.

“Look, I’ll keep an ear out,” Chloe offered. “If I hear from him, I will tell him that you’re looking for him or I’ll just give you the lowdown.”

“Thanks Chloe,” Oliver said gratefully.

“You’re welcome,” Chloe responded. “Don’t fret too much, okay?”

“I’ll try not to,” Oliver said.

“Take care, Oliver,” Chloe said.

“You too,” Oliver told her and after exchanging a quick goodbye, he hung up.

Even after promising Chloe he wouldn’t worry, Oliver couldn’t help himself. It seemed as though Clark and he were dealing with a rocky patch in their relationship and Clark randomly disappearing did not help the situation.

_It’s fine,_ he told himself, _all couples experience problems._ They had gone two years without any major issues . . . something was bound to come up. It was inevitable . .. . everything was just too perfect.

Oliver was confident that they would deal with it. They were not the first couple to deal with problems and they certainly wouldn’t be the last. In fact, they would probably have more down the road. No relationship was perfect, it required work and sacrifice. As corny as it sounded, Oliver truly believed love conquered all. As long as they loved one another, they would make it.

However, as another hour passed and there was still no sign of Clark, Oliver began to stress again. He debated calling Chloe but he knew it would be pointless. If she had heard anything, she would call him. All he could do was wait . . . and that was going to be the most difficult part.

He tried to push his worries aside by different distraction techniques. First, he did some work for Queen Industries but there was only so much he could do. Then, he attempted to see what the league plans were, sending quick e-mails to Bart, AC and Victor to check up on them.

Yet, he never managed to stay busy for long periods of time. Eventually, he gave up and headed to his desk, which was conveniently situated near the elevator. That way, when Clark came in, he’d know immediately.

It was another forty-five minutes before his boyfriend finally decided to make an appearance. By that time, Oliver was more than a little annoyed. Clark had gone out for _lunch_ but had been MIA for most of the day. And he didn’t even have the courtesy to give Oliver a call about his plans.

Oliver was tempted to give Bart a call and have him scourge the city to find Clark but resisted. His hand was on the phone when the familiar noise of the elevator drew his attention. The door opened and Clark walked in, smiling, and obviously oblivious to Oliver’s worries.

Clark saw him sitting there and seemed taken aback. “Oh, hi, Ollie.” _Hi Ollie?_ That was all he was going to get? How about a ‘sorry I disappeared and didn’t even bother to pick up my phone’ or a ‘I didn’t mean to keep you worrying all day’.

“Hello, Clark,” he said, trying to remain calm and keep his emotions in check. He didn’t want to start an argument by making accusations. No, he would get the truth out of Clark in his own way.

“Were you . . . were you waiting for me?” Clark asked.

“You’ve been gone for hours,” Oliver pointed out.

“I went for lunch with Chloe,” Clark replied, frowning.

“Yes, _lunch_ ,” Oliver said, emphasizing the word, “It’s almost dinnertime now.”

“I was with Chloe,” Clark said, shrugging. “We lost track of time.”

“Is that so?” Oliver questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Clark seemed offended. “Yes, I don’t understand why you’re acting so suspicious.”

“That’s funny,” Oliver said. “Because I called Chloe. You parted ways more than two hours ago. So how about the truth. Where were you?”

“You called Chloe?” Clark echoed. “What is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me?” Oliver repeated, anger creeping into his tone. “I’m not the one who ran out of here this afternoon without even giving the slightest hint to when he’ll be back. I’m not the one who doesn’t pick up his cell phone . . .”

“But you’re not my mother,” Clark hissed, “You’re my boyfriend and I don’t have to tell you everything.”

“Yes, but we’re practically living together now,” Oliver pointed out coldly. “The circumstances have changed.”

“I didn’t realize living together entailed informing each other about our whereabouts 24/7,” Clark retorted.

“Look, Clark,” Oliver responded, trying desperately to keep his cool. “I wouldn’t leave for hours at a stretch without at least giving you notice where I was or when I’d return. Forgive me if I expect the same courtesy from you.”

“You knew I was with Chloe,” Clark told him.

“I knew you were with Chloe for lunch,” Oliver corrected. “But you two separated and I had no idea where you were after that.”

His boyfriend scowled. “Just because you wish to tell me where you are all the time does not mean I feel the same way.”

Oliver’s jaw dropped. Whatever he had been expecting, it was not that. Clark’s words were like needles stabbing at his heart.

“I was worried about you,” Oliver said, unable to hide the hurt from his voice. Brown eyes met green and Oliver noticed guilt residing in those eyes he loved so much.

“I can take care of myself,” Clark said stiffly.

“I know that,” Oliver replied. “It’d just make things easier if you kept me updated. I love you, Clark . . . and if I seem overprotective, I’m sorry. I only do it because I love you so much and it drives me crazy to even think something might’ve happened to you.”

Clark’s eyes softened but his expression remained aloof. He looked like he was going to say something but changed his mind. Instead, he walked past Oliver, heading toward their bedroom.

“Clark,” Oliver said, the last of his patience dying. “What’s going on with you?”

Clark froze. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You’ve been acting strangely,” Oliver said. “These past few days . . . you’ve been pulling away from me, Clark. I can feel it.”

“You’re imaging things,” Clark said, his voice off.

“Clark, I talk about moving our relationship forward and you change the topic,” Oliver said. “You’ve been trying to provoke an argument several times . . . I’ve waited patiently for answers but no longer.”

“I don’t want to talk about this right now,” Clark said, continuing on his path toward the bedroom.

“You never want to talk,” Oliver said, finally exploding. “We can keep avoiding this . . . why do I feel like I am the only one fighting for this relationship?”

Clark spun around. “You’re paranoid and did you ever think it’s you? I don’t know when you became so clingy but I don’t like it.” Someone could’ve stabbed him in the heart and the pain wouldn’t have been any less than what he was experiencing at that moment.

Clark glared at him, waiting for a response bur Oliver couldn’t form words if his life depended on it.

“Well?” Clark demanded, “You wanted to talk and here I am, talking . . . and you say nothing.” He rolled his eyes. “You know what, I don’t want to deal with this right now.”

Oliver watched motionless as Clark walked toward the elevator.

“I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” Clark called out and disappeared before Oliver could say anything.

_Did that really happen?_ That was not how he planned the conversation to go at all. How could Clark just say all that to him?

Clark was the only one who had the power to hurt him. With Clark, he had opened his heart for the first time, gave himself completely. And had gotten two years of perfect bliss. Sometimes he wondered if it was all a dream.

_It seems reality is finally catching up to me after all._ Clark had walked out and Oliver didn’t know when or even if he’d be back. The pain was unbearable.

And for the first time since his parents died, Oliver put his head in his hands and cried.


	7. Chapter 7

Clark could hear Oliver crying and it punched him in the gut. _I deserve to be stabbed repeatedly with kryptonite._

His Ollie never cried and now he was . . . and it was all because of him. Those beautiful brown eyes had tears in them . . . Clark’s heart broke remembering their conversation. _Oh, God, how was I able to act like such a jackass?_ It wasn’t him . . . it wasn’t him at all.

Seeing the pain written all over Oliver’s expression, he had almost aborted the plan. Somehow, he managed to pull it off, concentrating the entire time on the future. _Oliver will be better off without me._

When he stormed out of the penthouse, he had no idea where to go. Clark had no plans to go back in a few hours . . . it would help raise suspicions if he was suddenly gone all night. He decided on his apartment, the same apartment where Chloe and he had spent the day planning. The same apartment where he purposely ignored Oliver’s phone call and the same apartment where he listened in on Chloe’s conversation with Oliver.

It took him a short amount of time to get there and he was relieved to find it empty. He wasn’t in the mood for company and headed to his bedroom. Which was filled with so many memories. This room reminded him too much of Oliver. His first kiss with Oliver was here.

The dresser had a picture of Oliver and him together in addition to another picture of Oliver alone. He picked that one up and tears filled his eyes at the smiling Oliver. Oliver had teased him to no end when he had requested a picture of him but one look into his eyes and Clark knew that Oliver had been thrilled.

So many good times, so much love . . . the perfect relationship and he was throwing it all away. _Is this wrong?_ His heart said ‘yes’ but he knew it was too late to turn back. The plan was set into motion and he was going to go through with it.

Resting the photo in its original position, he thought of better times and wished he had appreciated them. Wished he cherished every second with Oliver. Back then, he didn’t know that his time with Oliver was limited. Back then, he thought he had forever. But back then, he was wrong, so foolish and delusional.

Now, he knew the truth and he could only wish he could go back to that time, that time where his training wasn’t a threat . . . when loving Oliver and doing well in school were his only two worries.

Because all good things came to an end and Clark was learning that the hard way.

It had been two hours, sixteen minutes and 33 seconds since Clark walked out on him. Wait, make that 34 seconds. 35 seconds . . . _damn it, when did I get so pathetic?_ Oliver was furious at himself and at Clark. Furious that Clark was able to reduce himself into a pile of mush and furious at himself for loving Clark so much, despite everything.

_I promised I would never be that person, that person who let their significant other walk all over them._ He was Oliver Queen . . . he was cool, confident, and people came after him, not the other way around.

But Clark was the exception to every rule. For Clark, Oliver had broken every single one of his personal rules. Clark had changed everything, had come into his life and made him whole again. Filled the empty space in his heart that he didn’t know he had. Brought joy and love to his life . . . showed him that he was worth loving and love was worth giving a shot.

Now he was leaving and taking Oliver’s heart with him. Because he had given it away a long time ago, from that very first kiss at Clark’s 21st birthday. He stared at his desk, which contained 3 pictures- one of him and his parents, one of both him and Clark together and the third was of just Clark.

He remembered how he teased Clark when the brunet had requested a photo of him. Truth be told, he was flattered. Oliver had seen the picture that sat by Clark’s beside and it warmed his heart. Right after, he made a comment about how he didn’t have a picture of Clark. It was said jokingly but Oliver had been serious, just a little embarrassed to admit it.

Clark had noticed it because he didn’t even have to ask. The next time he arrived home, it was already sitting on his desk. That was how their relationship worked . . . words often were left unsaid but most of the time, the message was conveyed. They understood one another and Oliver really thought he had found his soul mate with Clark.

_Maybe this is salvageable._ They had one fight . . . there was no breakup. Couples fought all the time and sometimes they went on to have wonderful, long lasting relationships. This was nothing to fear at all.

Clark had said he thought Oliver was too clingy. Well, then he would just have to give him some space. He may have sounded resentful at seemingly being the only one fighting for the relationship, but that didn’t mean he was going to stop. Nope, instead he was going to change tactics.

He’d play the game Clark’s way and he’d win too. _Don’t worry, Clark, we will work this out. I promise you that._

_Boys are dumb._ That’s what Chloe had decided. They all lived in a lovely town called Idiotsville and currently, her best friend was ruler of them all. Clark’s martyr complex had led him to believe that he had to split up with Oliver. _Of course,_ Oliver would say ‘no’ to waiting for him so he should just go and make the decision on his own! Chloe rolled her eyes. In some ways, Clark had matured so much over the past couple of years but in other ways, he was still making stupid decisions.

But when it all came down to it, Chloe loved her best friend. Not in that crazy, passionate way she used to- she long got over that- but in a brotherly way. The way that she wanted to see him happy and only wanted what was best for him always.

Unfortunately, that also meant she was unable to resist those puppy eyes and really couldn’t turn him down for anything. Which was exactly how she got roped into Clark’s scheme. She sighed . . . this was not going to turn out well at all.

She pushed those thoughts out of her head. For now, she didn’t want to think about it. She had had a long day and she wanted to get some rest. Entering her apartment, she was surprised to see the light on. Lois wasn’t home . . . she had left her at the Planet. That only meant one thing . . .

Quickly, she made her way to the kitchen and grabbed some bowls, ice cream and all the necessary toppings. She then made her way to her next destination. Hands full, she nudged the door open with her foot and smiled sadly at the scene before her. Just as she thought.

Clark was lying on his bed, holding a picture frame close to his heart and staring out into space. Placing the items on a nearby table, she walked over to the bed and sat by his side.

She stroked his hair, gaining his attention. “Hey you.”

“Hi Chlo,” Clark greeted her and smiled weakly.

“You look awful,” Chloe said bluntly.

“Thanks,” Clark replied, his tone sarcastic. “Please, don’t hold back on my account.”

Chloe grinned, but only for a moment before her expression changed to one of concern. “Clark, I’m serious. You look miserable . . . so I am guessing stage 1 of the plan went off as scheduled.”

“It went off perfectly,” Clark confessed. “I acted like a complete jerk.” He laughed bitterly. “It went off so well that now, my boyfriend is in tears.”

Chloe gasped. “Oliver . . . cried?” The Oliver she knew was strong. But then again, there was something about Clark Kent that could bring the strongest people to their knees.

“Clark,” she continued cautiously, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“No,” Clark replied morosely. “In fact, I’m positive I don’t. But I have to do this . . . it’s what’s right.”

“Well, if you ask me, I think it’s completely wrong and you don’t have to do a thing,” Chloe argued. “But even I know trying to change your mind is pointless . . . so let’s not talk about it. I brought ice cream and we are going to make sundaes.”

Clark glanced over at the aforementioned items. “I don’t know, Chlo.”

“Clark, I’m going to get you out of this slump,” Chloe commanded. “I know you’re leaving Oliver but you’re leaving me too.”

Clark looked regretful. “Oh Chlo, I didn’t think . . .”

“I know, and it’s okay,” Chloe assured him. “I realized you were upset about leaving Oliver but Clark, I’m used to seeing you on a daily basis. You’re my best friend and don’t think for a second that I’m not going to miss you like hell. I just want us to spend some time together before I lose you.”

“Chloe,” Clark said softly and in one swift motion, pulled her into his arms. Tears filled her hazel eyes and spilled over, the reality of Clark leaving hitting her at full force. She hugged him with everything she had.

“I’m going to miss you too,” Clark told her, gently rubbing her back. “So much, Chloe.”

She sniffed slightly and pulled away from the embrace. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I understand you have to go and I know you’ll be back to be the hero I always know you were.” She gave him a smile and stood up. “Now let’s indulge in some ice cream, before it all melts.”

But she was stopped by Clark gently grabbing her arm. She met his eyes. “What, Clark?”

“Chloe,” he said slowly, “I need a favor.” He let her arm go.

“Name it, Clark,” Chloe replied.

“When I’m gone . . .,” he started and paused for an instant. “When I’m gone, will you check up on Oliver?”

“Clark?” Chloe questioned.

“I mean, I know he’s fully capable of taking care of himself,” Clark added hastily. “But just as a friend. I have always had you but really, Oliver has only had me. Bart, AC and Victor are okay but he doesn’t confide in them. When I’m gone, I don’t want Ollie curling up in his shell again. So please, I know you’re busy but if you could just be a friend to him . . .”

“Clark,” Chloe interjected, “You don’t even have to ask twice. I care about Oliver very much too. You can count on me to watch over him.” Clark nodded.

“I know, I trust you,” he said confidently.

“I’ll make sure he’s taking care of himself,” Chloe promised him.

Clark smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. But there was a relief in his eyes, a relief that was clearly due to the fact that he knew his Oliver would be well taken care of. _He loves Oliver so much,_ Chloe thought sadly. Why did it have to be this way?

She knew why Clark was asking for this favor. Oliver would not take the breakup well. He would shut down for sure and most probably go into a self-destructive mode. Chloe was good at reading people and Oliver had invested his whole self into this relationship. Losing Clark would be like losing a part of him. It would not end well.

Chloe would definitely check up on him often. Oliver was a good man, a kind person with a strong heart and she loved the way he loved Clark. There was no way she was going to let him ruin himself. Now, she had made a promise to Clark and it was one promise she intended to keep.

\----------------------------------------

Clark didn’t come home that night. Oliver slept alone in their bed and for the first time in a long time, felt how huge it really was. It was so empty, so cold without Clark around. No Clark trying to invade his personal space. No Clark to hold him close and make him feel safe and cherished and loved. No Clark to tell him how much he loved him and no Clark for Oliver to kiss. It was only one night but Oliver hated every moment of it.

He had waited for hours and then as the clock struck 11, he headed out for patrol. Crime rates were improving but Metropolis needed a stable hero. His hopes were that Clark would join them and Metropolis would be his city but for some reason, Clark didn’t seem so keen anymore.

Oliver managed to do his rounds, even being as distracted as he was. He returned home around 2 am and much to his disappointment, Clark hadn’t been there. That had been the point when he resigned himself to sleeping alone.

Now he was lying in bed, exhausted but unable to sleep. Clark was probably either in Smallville or in his apartment. But he wasn’t going to check. With his newfound determination to give Clark his space and win him back, stalking Clark down was no longer a possibility.

How he managed to fall asleep that night was a mystery to him. The sunshine falling on his face was what woke him up the next morning. Blinking a few times to let his eyes get adjusted to the light, he looked at the clock. Nearly 8 am and Clark still was a no show.

Forcing himself out of bed, he got ready and prepared himself for another long day. _Come home, Clark,_ he couldn’t help but think, _I miss you._

Clark was also quite reluctant to get out of bed that morning. He had had a late night as well. Chloe and he had spent much of the night talking. It was always fun spending time with Chloe . . . he had been so caught up in thinking about leaving Oliver, he hadn’t even considered Chloe’s feelings.

_I’m a horrible person._ But he vowed to spend plenty of time with Chloe before he left.

If it wasn’t for Chloe, he probably wouldn’t be around. She had saved his butt too many times to count. He was relieved that she agreed to watch after Oliver and knew that his Ollie would be in good hands. There was no way that Oliver would accept her help willingly but knowing Clark, Oliver would not be able to resist. She wouldn’t let him resist for very long.

_Time to get up, Clark. It’s Day 2 of the plan._ Clark groaned but dragged himself up anyway. It was going to be another long day.


	8. Chapter 8

Oliver knew the second Clark entered the penthouse. But he stayed in his office, continuing with a presentation he was working on. Even though all of him wanted to run out to Clark, he resisted. This was all part of the plan. It would all be worth it when he won Clark back.

He wondered if Clark would come find him to say that he was back. Whenever Clark used to come home, his first priority had been finding Oliver. Not everything could’ve changed, could it?

Apparently, it had. Not only did Clark _not_ seek him out, he could hear the elevator shutting a few minutes later. Clark had arrived just to leave again.

 _Why did he even bother coming home then?_ Oliver thought bitterly.

_Stop, Ollie, remember what you’re doing. Don’t lose your cool. Remember, the end result will be worth all this._

It had better be worth it. If he lost Clark after all the work he was doing, he didn’t know how he was going to react.

Clark had no idea why he went back to the penthouse. He could hear Oliver working in his office, but couldn’t bring himself to go see him. Oliver probably didn’t want to see him anyway. After hesitating a few moments, he turned and walked out again.

He doubted Oliver knew he had come in so he wouldn’t miss him if he left. Besides, he had some work to do before the next step of his plan could take place. Oliver was already upset over their blow up and was suspicious of Clark’s weird behavior . . . a few tricks would lead him down the path Clark intended him to go on.

 _You can do this._ God he hoped so, because if it didn’t work out, he had no backup plans. Less than a month before he was leaving for his training . . . time was not on his side. _This will work . . . it has to._ It had to . . . if he failed now, he didn’t know what he was going to do.

The next few days were trying for both Oliver and Clark. Oliver thought giving Clark his space would make Clark realize that there was no place he would rather be than by his side. But it seemed that Clark was just drifting further away from him.

Clark was hardly ever home . . . out of the past three nights, Clark had only spent one of those at the penthouse. God knows where he went the other nights. The rare times he was home, he was distant. He could easily forget the last time he felt the warmth of Clark’s lips or was able to enjoy the strength of his loving embrace. _What am I doing wrong? If I pursue him, I’m too clingy but giving him space doesn’t help either. Please, Clark, tell me what I can do to make this right . . . make us right._ And the worst part was that he didn’t have any answers.

If there was one thing Oliver hated, it was not having answers. He liked knowing what was going on around him. Now he was feeling helpless and it was driving him mad.

 _Is this worth it?_ Clark was losing interest in the relationship so why did Oliver keep fighting? _Maybe because it’s the best relationship you’ve ever been in, because you can’t imagine your life without Clark in it._

There was no other option but to keep at it. However, with every rejection, with every night they spent apart, Oliver felt a little piece of his heart breaking off.

And he had no idea how much longer he could take this. How much longer he would able to stand this before he broke for good.

 _What is he doing?_ Clark could not interpret Oliver’s actions at all. He was back in the apartment, in his bedroom, contemplating their current situation. But he got even more confused.  What is Oliver’s game? Every time he walked out of the door without giving an explanation, he could see the heartbreak in Oliver’s eyes. When he showed up in the morning, having spent the night away, he noticed Oliver biting his lip and holding in the questions he obviously had as to Clark’s whereabouts.

Since that night, there were no more accusations, no more demands to know where he had been. Despite Clark’s attempts to push Oliver’s buttons by showing up less and being out more often, Oliver didn’t have a reaction.

 _I told him he was too clingy._ Oh, God, was Oliver trying to give him space? He groaned. This was not good. Him just being away was obviously not good enough. Time to enact Phase 3 of the plan. But that required some help.

Picking up the phone, he dialed the familiar number without thinking. His best friend answered almost immediately.

“Chloe,” Clark said, “It’s me. I need your help. It’s time for Phase 3.”

It had been two weeks since his fight with Clark and there had been no change in Clark’s behavior towards him. Oliver was growing more frustrated by the moment. He couldn’t give him any more space! Didn’t he see that Oliver loved him?

Oliver had even gone back to Star City for a couple of days. Granted it was for some necessary business but a part of him had hoped that Clark would miss him. _Boy was I wrong on that one._

Clark had barely acknowledged that he left. _I might as well face the truth . . . Clark and I are growing apart._ But then another part of his mind argued that he shouldn’t give up. Oliver shook his head. It must be unhealthy to be this attached to what was obviously a failing relationship. _Clark acts like he wants us to be over so why doesn’t he just end it?_

Oliver knew he wouldn’t have the strength to break up with Clark. Especially not when part of him was holding out for a happily ever after with the brunet.

_Face it, Queen, happily ever after is in storybooks, in fairytales . . . not for people like you. It’s time to wake up from this silly dream you’re living in and accept reality. You’ll always be alone._

He hated his subconscious for its traitorous thoughts and he hated it ever more because he knew that it just might be the truth.

Footsteps broke him out of his thoughts and he saw Clark entering the penthouse. And his heart skipped a beat. It was ridiculous . . . no matter how annoyed he was at his boyfriend, his body still had a reaction every time he was near.

Clark was chatting happily into his cell phone, laughing and cheerfully talking to whoever was on the other end. _He hasn’t smiled like that for me in weeks._ Oliver used to love putting that smile on Clark’s face, but lately, nothing he did made Clark happy.

“All right, I’ll talk to you soon,” Clark was saying. “Yeah, you too. Bye.” He hung up and met Oliver’s gaze.

“Hi,” Clark said slowly.

“Hello,” Oliver replied. “How are you?”

“Pretty good,” Clark answered. “And yourself?”

“Not bad,” Oliver told him. _Had it really come to this? Were they really exchanging pleasantries like two business associates?_

“That’s nice,” Clark said, oblivious to Oliver’s misery. At one point, Clark was able to read him like a book. Now, he seemed to not have any idea how Oliver was feeling.

“How has your day been?” Clark asked politely.

“It’s fine,” Oliver said. “Actually, I have a conference call in half an hour . . .” It was close to the truth anyway . . . the call was in an hour and a half but Oliver just needed to escape this conversation. He was feeling nauseous with this disgustingly detached conversation they were having.

“Oh,” Clark said. “Okay.” _Of course you don’t have a reaction. Do you ever have a reaction when it comes to me anymore?_

But Oliver didn’t say any of that aloud. “Have a nice day, Clark. I’ll catch you later.” Clark shrugged in response and Oliver took off, back to his office. A place where he spent way too much time lately.

What else was he supposed to do? He needed a distraction and pouring himself into Queen Industries was the best idea. His business was thriving and he was pleased that he was keeping the company of his family in top-notch shape.

If only he had the same success with his relationship, he would be a lot happier. _Maybe it’s a good time to stop being so passive._

Maybe it was time to start taking action. Clark wanted his space . . . maybe he was bored with the relationship. The two of them had been together for over two years and now, they were stuck in a rut.

He needed to remind Clark why the brunette fell in love with him in the first place. A romantic evening was in order. Oliver smiled . . . he had the perfect idea. Clark wouldn’t know what hit him.

“I don’t know, Chloe,” Clark told his best friend, as they ate lunch at a deli near the Planet. “I’m not sure what else I should do.”

“You’ve been distant,” Chloe listed, “You are hardly ever home and you spend nights elsewhere. The two of you haven’t had a decent conversation in weeks and you barely touch, let alone have sex.”

“Chloe!” Clark exclaimed, blushing.

“What?” Chloe said, taking a bite out of her sandwich. “Sex is important. Especially in a relationship like yours. The two of you used to be all over each other all the time . . . it must be odd to him that you don’t even kiss anymore.”

“That’s the thing,” Clark said. “He’s just been accepting all of this, as if it is not suspicious at all!”

“Well, Clark,” Chloe said seriously, “For all he knows, you could be just pulling away. He’s probably thinking that if he gives you your space, you’ll come back to him. Clark, it’s you . . . you’re the most dependable guy around. I don’t think the possibility of you cheating has even crossed his mind.”

Clark frowned. “So what do I do?”

“You’re going to have to be more obvious,” Chloe suggested.

“And how do I do that?” Clark questioned.

Chloe’s eyes were filled with sadness but she put on a brave face. Clark was filled with guilt. He hated putting her in the middle like this. She didn’t like doing this but he had no choice at this point and Chloe knew that as well. Which was probably the only reason she was still helping him.

“I have a few ideas,” Chloe admitted. “But we’re going to need some help.”

“Help?” Clark repeated. “Wait . . . I don’t want too many people knowing about this.”

“Trust me, Clark,” Chloe said mysteriously. “This person is not going to help consciously . . . they’re just going to be very useful without knowing it.”

Clark was still confused but he was going to trust her. She hadn’t let him down before and he hoped that whatever she was planning would work.

Meanwhile, Oliver was organizing his big surprise. Clark was still not around very often but it didn’t bother Oliver as much. Because he knew after his surprise, Clark would be back in his arms, where he belonged.

They had just both been taking one another for granted lately and now, it was time to put the spice back in their relationship. A romantic evening together was exactly what the doctor prescribed.

The next couple of days passed by quickly for him, as he was deeply involved in his plans. He was taking a break to get a quick bite to eat when he heard an unfamiliar noise coming from the living room.

He headed in the direction of the sound to see Clark’s phone ringing on the couch. Clearly, when he left, he had forgotten it. Hopefully, it wasn’t too important. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw that it was an unfamiliar number.

Usually he didn’t pick up Clark’s phone but he decided to just do it. That way, he could pass on the message to Clark later.

“Hello,” he answered.

“Clark,” an unfamiliar female voice said. “I’m so glad I reached you . . .”

“I’m sorry?” Oliver said. “Who is this?”

“I was looking for Clark Kent?” the woman asked. “Is this a wrong number?”

“This is his phone,” Oliver assured her. “He’s just not around right now. May I take a message?”

“That would be great,” the woman said. “Could you tell him Julia called?”

“Julia,” Oliver repeated, “Got it . . . anything else?”

“Just that I had a really great time last night,” Julia added, “And to call me soon.”

Oliver froze at her words. “I’ll do that,” he managed to say.

“Thanks,” Julia said happily. “Bye now.”

“Bye,” he said and closed the phone. He stared at it disbelievingly.

Did that really happen? Who the hell was this Julia and why would Clark be hanging out with her? His mind was quickly drawing up conclusions and he wasn’t liking any of them.

_Could Clark not only be drawing away from me but have found someone else too?_

On the other side of town, Chloe Sullivan snapped her phone shut and glanced at her best friend.

“Well?” Clark asked anxiously. “Did he recognize your voice?”

“Not a chance,” Chloe informed him. “He had no idea it was me . . . he totally bought the story.” It hadn’t been easy disguising her voice but it had to be done.

“So he’s suspicious now?” Clark wanted to know. “Did he sound shocked?”

“He’s definitely shocked,” Chloe replied.

“Now what?” Clark asked.

“We have planted the first suspicions in his head,” Chloe said. “Now it’s time to bring in our mystery helper.”

Clark nodded and Chloe smiled at him, even though her heart was sinking. _Come on, Sullivan, you can do this . . . do it for Clark._

She silently prayed that they didn’t end up regretting this.

 _Clark wouldn’t do that . . . no, he wouldn’t cheat. He can’t cheat. It’s not him at all._ Oliver Queen was deeply in denial. He only thought Clark was pulling away from him. Never did it cross his mind that he could be gravitating toward someone else.

 _Now, don’t jump to conclusions, Ollie. You never know._ Yeah, that’s right. This Julia could be just a friend and last night, they might’ve just had a great conversation.

 _Who are you kidding?_ This was not a situation he ever pictured himself getting into. He was just staring at Clark’s phone, unable to process the situation.

“Hey, you found my phone.” Clark’s voice interrupted his thoughts. He was surprised to see Clark standing in front of him. _When did he even come in?_ Clark smiled at him and held out his hand expectantly.

Oliver handed the phone to Clark. “Yeah, I heard it ringing.”

“Oh?” Clark said. “Did you pick it up?”

“Yeah,” Oliver said hoarsely. “Someone named Julia called.”

Clark was already scanning his phone, obviously for the number. “Did she leave a message?”

Oliver clenched his jaw. “She said she had a great time last night and she wanted you to call her.”

“Cool, thanks,” Clark said. _What the . . ._

“Is that all you have to say?” Oliver demanded.

Clark raised an eyebrow. “What would you like me to say?”

“How about who this Julia is?” Oliver suggested icily. “Or what she meant by the great time the two of you had?”

Clark looked amused. “Oliver, she’s a friend . . .”

“Funny,” Oliver said, “You never mentioned this ‘friend’ before.”

“We met in one of our classes,” Clark explained. “I don’t see what the big deal is.”

“Random women calling you is a big deal, Clark,” Oliver argued.

“Oliver,” Clark said calmly. “Green may be your color but jealously doesn’t suit you.” Clark closed the distance between them and gave him a smile.

“She’s just a friend,” Clark said softly. “You know it’s you I want . . .” He tried to kiss Oliver but Oliver stepped back.

“No, actually, from the way you’re acting, I don’t know that at all,” Oliver said.

“Fine, be that way,” Clark said resignedly. “I have to go out but I’ll see you later.”

Oliver didn’t respond and watched Clark leave. The phone rang and this time it was his cell. He rushed to pick it up.

“Queen,” he answered.

“Mr. Queen,” a voice came from the other end. “We want to call you about your order.”

“What about it?” Oliver questioned.

“We wanted to confirm it,” the man replied. “Are you still interested?”

Oliver paused and looked at the spot where Clark had been standing. Then he made a quick decision.

“Yeah,” he said finally. “I’m definitely interested . . . confirm it and I want it as soon as possible.”


	9. Chapter 9

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Clark asked again.

“Look, Clark, you’re doing well with this plan so far,” Chloe said. “But to take it to the next step, this is what you’ll have to do.”

“But I thought I’m trying to make him suspicious?” Clark asked.

“This will,” Chloe assured him. “The suspicion is already there . . . between your distant behavior and that phone call, he’s really starting to have his doubts. But now, it’s time for the ‘acting guilty and showing too much affection’ part. When one person in the relationship is straying, they usually compensate by acting really lovey dovey and showering the other one with gifts. It is in all the tv shows, books and movies . . . Oliver will definitely catch on.”

“If you say so, Chlo,” Clark said doubtfully.

Chloe checked her watch. “Okay, I’ve done the planning and it’s your turn. Good luck, Clark.”

“Thanks,” Clark said. “I think I’ll need it.”

He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. It was time for Phase 4.

Oliver hung up, after speaking to his vice president. _That’s it, I’m done for the week._ It was Friday evening and he was going to relax. He didn’t do it very often but his life was a mess so he figured he deserved a break.

He wandered toward the kitchen and frowned. Maybe he should’ve kept a cook around here. Previously, he wasn’t around long enough at a stretch to make use of one. When he was there, it was Clark and he switching off on cooking duty. Right now, he was too lazy to do anything. _Take out it is then._

“You look exhausted,” a voice commented from behind him. He spun around to see Clark, with a grin on his face and a few bags in his hand. And whatever he was carrying smelled good.

“It’s been a long day,” Oliver said, unsure of what to expect.

“I can imagine,” Clark agreed cheerfully. “I brought food from that Italian place we like so much.” He pulled out boxes from one of the bags. “I’m going to put the gelato in the fridge.”

“Gelato?” Oliver repeated, his stomach growling. Clark shot another smile his way and nodded before walking to the freezer.

“It’s not mom’s pie but it’ll do,” Clark declared. He unpacked the second bag and left the third one resting on the floor.

“I rushed back here,” Clark told him, “So the food should be warm.”

“I didn’t think you would be back tonight,” Oliver said slowly.

Clark stopped what he was doing and bit his lip, guilt creasing his features. “Yeah . . . about this afternoon . . . and basically, the past couple weeks. I’m really sorry, Ollie. I was a complete jerk and I don’t know what came over me.”

Oliver wasn’t convinced. _Does he really think it’s going to be that easy?_ Outside, he remained stoic though his heart was doing back flips, more than eager to accept Clark’s attempt at an apology.

“So this,” Oliver said, gesturing to the food, “Is it supposed to be some sort of peace offering?”

Clark blushed. “It’s not completely a peace offering but it’s a start. I really want things to go back to the way they were before.” He met Oliver’s gaze, hope written all over his expression.

Oliver wanted to shout, to reject Clark as he had been doing to him over the past couple of weeks. Put him through that same misery he had been feeling every time he was turned away.

But one glance into those green eyes and he was gone. That endearing look on his face tugged at Oliver’s heartstrings. Not to mention Clark looked _good._

He had been so upset before that he didn’t take a good look at him. Now he was looking and he was liking what he saw. Clark had long abandoned the daily blue shirt, red jacket and jeans combo. There were times where he reverted to those clothes but now, he definitely dressed better.

Currently, he was wearing a pair of well fitting jeans and tight green, half-sleeved shirt. Suddenly, Oliver found that he wasn’t hungry anymore . . . at least not for food.

“Oliver?” Clark said. Giving Clark one of his traditional smirks, he slowly made his way toward him.

_What are you doing? He’s hurt you, so many times._ Well, forget that. He’d deal with those issues later. Right now, he was being reminded that he hadn’t been laid in weeks. When you had a boyfriend that looked like Clark, that was just unacceptable. Sex was important and the best way, in Oliver’s eyes, to fix their relationship was to make sure the physical attraction was still there.

“Oliver?” Clark repeated, anxiety creeping in his voice.

But Oliver just continued to close the distance between them, until he had Clark pressed up against the counter.

“Ollie,” Clark tried again but Oliver wouldn’t let him speak.

“Ssshh,” Oliver said, putting a hand on Clark’s mouth. “I think dinner can wait, don’t you?” He removed his hand and captured Clark’s lips with his own. Clark responded instantaneously, moaning into Oliver’s mouth, while increasing the intensity of the kiss.

_I missed this._ And he had. The taste of Clark’s mouth was one that he had to go too long without. Clark encircled his arms around Oliver’s back, pressing their bodies together.

Only when the need for air arouse did Oliver pull away. Resting his forehead against Clark’s, he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. Clark still was attracted to him. And damn it if it wasn’t the ego booster he desperately needed.

“I think,” Clark said breathlessly. “You were right about dinner.”

“Mhmmm,” Oliver said, trailing kisses down Clark’s neck. “I’m always right . . . you should listen to me more often.”

“Bedroom?” Clark suggested, as Oliver worked on getting Clark’s shirt off.

“Too far,” Oliver protested, freeing Clark of his shirt. “I want you now.” A flash and Oliver found himself flat on his back, naked, in their bed.

“You were saying?” Clark teased, straddling his hips.

“You really want to keep talking?” Oliver questioned and Clark just shook his head.

“No,” he said softly and met Oliver’s lips once again. And no more words were needed.

Eventually, they got to the food but that was only hours later. Oliver was more than happy staying in bed, making up for lost time with Clark.

And he couldn’t describe the feeling of waking up in Clark’s arms the next morning. He blinked a few times and even pinched himself, to make sure that last night was not just a dream. That Clark was really there and he was not alone, like he had been almost every night previous.

It was early still so Oliver closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep. Only to awaken a few hours later. But this time he found himself alone. _Oh, no, it wasn’t really a dream was it?_

_It couldn’t have been._ The memories were too real for it to have been just a dream. He slowly got out of bed and slipped into a pair of jeans and a shirt. His next stop was the kitchen and the sight that greeted him once he got there brought a smile to his face. Clark was standing by the stove, wearing jeans and no shirt, making breakfast.

“I was going to berate you for leaving me alone,” Oliver started, getting Clark’s attention. “But it seems that you have a good excuse so I’ll forgive you.”

Clark sent a cheeky smile his way. “I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed.” He pouted.

Oliver smiled. “We can have breakfast . . . and then go back to bed.”

Clark beamed. “I like the way you think, Mr. Queen.”

“Maybe I can share some of my thoughts with you later on,” Oliver suggested, with a wink. A slight blush and a small smile was what he got in response.

He may be smiling but on the inside, he was slowly dying. _I just knew this part of the plan wouldn’t work out . . . it just makes everything more difficult._ But Clark tried not to show any of his pain. However, he couldn’t help how he felt.

_Last night was incredible._ Just remembering Oliver’s mouth on his and the feel of Oliver’s hands on his body made him wish he could stay. Made him want to ignore his training all together and spend forever in Oliver’s arms.

_If only things were different._ But they weren’t and he had to continue with his plan. Chloe knew more about these plans than he did so he would take her word that this would work.

He had been taken aback by what happened last night. Never had he expected for Oliver to take him to bed. Not that he was complaining. If they were going to part, it was nice that they had one more night that he could store in his memories and cherish when he was feeling lonely.

Then again, that was later and he had to focus on the present. Before Oliver got suspicious for all the wrong reasons.

He turned back to his cooking. “Are you okay with French toast?”

“Sounds good to me,” Oliver replied. “Do you need any help?”

“I’m fine, thanks,” Clark assured him. He finished making breakfast for the two of them shortly after and they ate in silence.

The minute they were finished, Oliver was back to his flirty self and immediately asked Clark whether he had showered. When he answered in the negative, Oliver made it a point to suggest that they save water and shower together. Which Clark was only too happy to take him up on.

Part of him knew that this would only hurt them both even more in the long run but he gave into his selfish desires. One thing was certain: it was the first time he had ever spent one hour in the shower.

Spending the day with Oliver was a lot of fun. It took him back to a time where his training was not a threat. His heart wrenched at the pure joy he saw on Ollie’s face when he found out Clark was not going out that day. There was no way he was going to have to act guilty . . . he was certain it would come naturally.

They didn’t do anything extravagant-just hung out, watching movies and chatting about superficial topics. Like Chloe instructed, Clark acted overly affectionate. It wasn’t difficult though when all of him wanted to just hold Oliver close and never let him go. Oliver seemed to enjoy the attention but he could tell that at moments, he was wary of Clark’s behavior.

_Everything is going according to plan. Come on, Kent, don’t chicken out now. Only a few more weeks . . . you can do this._ And maybe if he said it enough times, he would believe it.

Oliver was experiencing pure bliss. Or at least, he thought he was. Clark was pouring all this love and attention onto him . . . a little too much love and attention in fact. He didn’t want to question his boyfriend’s sincerity but some of Clark’s actions that day sent off alarms in his head. It was almost as if Clark was trying too hard.

He understood that Clark was probably trying to make up for his past behavior but something in Oliver told him it was not just that. At times, when Clark thought he wasn’t looking, he would see him staring at him with what appeared to be guilt written all over his expression.

Which brought up a question . . . what would Clark need to feel guilty about? _Julia,_ his mind supplied, _remember her?_

Oliver’s stomach sank. No, Clark could not be . . . he wouldn’t . . . No. _Could he?_

Clark could tell that Oliver’s mind was going in the direction he wanted it to go by the end of the night. He had no idea why Oliver was holding back . . . it wasn’t like him to refrain from speaking his mind. The only conclusion he drew was that Oliver didn’t want to spoil the day and was reserving the questions for another day.

The tension was building though . . . when they broke up, it was going to be ugly. And he had no idea how he was going to handle it.

That night, Oliver did not get much sleep. His doubts were replaying in his mind, keeping him up. Somehow, he managed to doze off but much to his surprise, when he got up, Clark again was not around.

_This is getting kind of annoying._ He remembered Clark wanting to surprise him with breakfast in bed the morning before. Maybe he was trying again. Still, he wanted to check. He climbed out of bed, heading straight for the kitchen. Much to his displeasure, Clark was not in the kitchen. In fact, he was nowhere in the penthouse.

There was, however, a box sitting on his desk near the elevator. Curious, he approached it and was surprised to see his name on it. Attached to the box was a note.  
 _  
Ollie, we were out of eggs- went to the store to get some. Be back soon! Love you, Clark._

But what about the box? He flipped the note over and smiled.

_P.S. Yes, the box is a present and yes, it is for you. It’s not much but I thought you’d like it. Enjoy!_

A present for him? This was all very unusual. First, Clark was taking a while to get eggs, which by no means was a necessity and could be gotten later. Now, he was giving him presents out of the blue.

Didn’t stop him from opening the present to see what it was. He always did love presents. Opening the box, he couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his lips. Picking up the present, he grinned.

Because he was currently staring at what was apparently a Green Arrow action figure. He even came with his own little bow and arrow.

Normally the gift would’ve warmed his heart . . . random presents was such a Clark thing to do. Yet, now, it was different. It _felt_ different.

“I see you got your present.” Startled, he looked up. It seemed Clark was really getting better at showing up quietly.

“What’s the occasion?” Oliver questioned.

“No occasion,” Clark said, placing the bags on the table. “Just thought of you when I saw it and had to buy it. You don’t like it?” How could anyone resist those eyes? Oliver certainly was not strong enough.

“I do like it,” Oliver told him. “Very much so. It was just a little unexpected.”

“Best things in life are unexpected, Ollie,” Clark said. “It’s just a present . . . no need to over think it. Now you relax. I’m going to go make us omelets.”

Oliver didn’t say anything and watched Clark walk into the kitchen. Something was not right. And Oliver was going to find out exactly what it was.


	10. Chapter 10

_He’s reacting just like he’s supposed to._ All this manipulation was making Clark’s head spin. It certainly was not something he was used to doing.

The gift being tainted hurt him though. He saw that Green Arrow doll and really had immediately thought of Oliver. How could he not? It was too adorable for words, with its little bow and arrow. They even got close with the shape.

Now, what once would’ve been a fun gift was a tool to drive suspicion into his boyfriend’s mind. _Only a couple more weeks left._ Time was running out quickly and this plan needed to go a lot faster. His mother was coming back in about a week. She heard about his training when they spoke over the phone and she was not pleased when she found out that out he was withholding the information from Oliver.

Of course, he was not going to tell her his plan. His mom thought of Oliver as a second son and if she caught a whiff of what he was doing, she’d fly back immediately and tell Oliver everything herself. Fortunately, she didn’t force him to do anything. That was what he loved about her. Despite the fact she was always there for him when he wanted to talk, she would never pressure any information out of him.

Thinking about his mother made him depressed. It was hard enough leaving Oliver and that was why he had immersed himself in the planning. Because if he didn’t, he would remember all the other people he was leaving. Chloe, Lois, his mom . . . it would hurt like hell being away from them.

His mom was in the spotlight too, with her political career. They’d have to make up a valid excuse for why he was suddenly MIA. And he had no clue what he was going to tell Lois. How could he say goodbye to her without giving her an inclination of his destination?

And Chloe . . . Clark sighed. He didn’t even know where to start with her. At least his mom had been gone for a while . . . he was used to seeing her on rare occasions. But Chloe had lived with him for the past couple of years and over the course of their nine year friendship, they had only been used to be separated for at most, a summer vacation.

_Don’t think about it Clark._ Yes, that was what he was going to do, avoid the issue. Like he had been avoiding most things over the past few weeks. Avoiding his feelings, avoiding his heart, avoiding Oliver . . . just one more thing to add to the list.

_Wow, that wasn’t bitter at all._ Well, he had a right to be bitter! He was sacrificing everything and everyone he loved to go fulfill his destiny. It was necessary and he accepted what he had to do but that didn’t mean that it was easy.

“Clark,” he heard Oliver call out. “Are you sure you don’t need help?”

Oh, right, the omelets. Using a bout of superspeed, he had them cooking within seconds.

“No,” he yelled back. “I’m fine. It will just be another few minutes.”

“Okay, take your time,” Oliver responded. He didn’t need time though and was finished within minutes. Setting the food on plates, he headed back to Oliver.

Breakfast was awkward, to say the least. Oliver seemed to be trying to read his mind, examining his facial expressions and looked like he was analyzing every word that came out of his mouth. Though this was the behavior he expected, had been aiming to get, it was still unpleasant.

How he managed to get through breakfast without cracking, he had no idea. He thanked whatever higher power gave him the will to carry on.

After breakfast, they parted ways. Oliver claimed he had some work to do and Clark was too relieved to question him about it. According to Chloe, another step of their plan would take place tonight. When he had gone to pick up the eggs, he visited her too. That was when she informed him that he was expected around 5 that evening. Whatever needed to be done that night would be explained then. She kept mentioning another person who would be helping them but she refused to give him any details.

For what felt like the millionth time since he began this plan, he felt grateful for Chloe being on his team. If he was doing this alone, he would’ve been exposed a long time ago. He really needed to do something big for her before he left.

A phone ringing broke him out of his thoughts and back to reality. Recognizing his ringtone, he picked it up.

“Kent,” he answered.

“Clark, it’s Chloe,” came the voice on the other end. “How is it going so far?”

“Perfect,” Clark confessed. He did a quick check around to make sure that Oliver wasn’t around and then continued. “He is having all the right reactions.”

“Good,” Chloe replied. “Just keep doing what you’re doing. Be at our apartment around 5 and I’ll give you further instructions.”

“All right, will do,” Clark said. “See you then.”

“Bye Clark,” Chloe said.

“Bye Chlo,” Clark responded and hung up.

He was dreading that night. The way Chloe talked about it, he knew it would be a huge step, the point where turning back would be impossible.

I can do this. Just need to hold out a little while longer. Only a few more weeks left. “Only a few more weeks left,” he whispered to the empty room.

In a few more weeks, he’d be free. First, he would have to get through tonight.

With the breakfast incident, Oliver was more determined than ever to complete his plan. He finalized the last of the preparations. In approximately five days, Clark was going to get the surprise of his life.

He spent most of the day in his office, only stopping briefly to eat lunch. Clark made a delicious three cheese ravioli . . . he may not be biologically related to them but he certainly inherited his mother’s cooking skills.

Too bad they were too busy being weird around each other to really enjoy it. At one point, they would’ve killed to have this much time with one another. And now that they had practically all the time in the world, Oliver felt he saw Clark less than when they had to work a long distance relationship.

As soon as lunch was finished, he retreated back to his office. He offered to help Clark clean up but he was turned down. And Clark didn’t appear to be wanting his company so he left.

The next time he emerged was close to 5 pm. Only to find the penthouse empty and a note left on the kitchen fridge.

_Went out, will be out late. Don’t wait up. Love you, Clark._

Which basically translated to “I’m not going to be home tonight”. Why he even bothered adding the “love you”, Oliver didn’t know. The world was equivalent to “sincerely” nowadays.

“Who are you trying to convince, Clark?” Oliver muttered bitterly. “Me or yourself?”

Yesterday and the night before had established that Clark was still sexually attracted to him. But what if that was it? Their relationship had never been one of lust. And he did not plan to make that the centerfold of their relationship now either. Oliver was already in love with Clark when they began to date and still felt the same way today. If all Clark felt was sexual, this was not going to work out.

Oliver wanted more than just Clark’s body . . . he wanted his heart. And for two years, he was certain he had possessed it. Now . . . he was not so certain. For the first time since they started dating, he was doubting himself and their love.

_Five days, Ollie, five days and you’ll know for certain._ But five days was still a wait. He needed Clark now.

_I need to be patient._ He had been patient though, these past few weeks were testing his patience level. How much more would he be able to tolerate and swallow down before he just exploded?

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. In five days, he would get the answers the questions that were burning his mind, heart and soul.

But would he really like the answers?

At five o’ clock sharp, Clark was at their apartment. The hours had gone by too quickly for his liking and at 4:55, he left a vague note for Oliver and sped to the apartment.

Using his key, he entered and saw Chloe waiting for him.

“Hi,” Chloe greeted him.

“Hey,” Clark said. “How’re you doing?”

“Not too bad,” Chloe replied. “You?”

“Surviving,” Clark said, shrugging. “So what’s the plan?”

“You’ll get the details in the car,” Chloe said.

“Are we going somewhere?” Clark asked.

Chloe gave him a small smile. “We will be soon enough. Right now, you have to go to your bedroom. I’ve left clothes lying out on your bed and you need to wear them.”

“Chloe?” Clark questioned, unsure of where she was going with this.

“Trust me, Clark,” Chloe insisted. “Just go to your room and change.”

Clark nodded, and went to his bedroom. His eyes widened when he saw what was on the bed waiting for him.

“Chloe!” he yelled and she was by his side in an instant.

“Clark?” Chloe said worriedly. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Clark repeated and pointed to the clothes. “What is this?”

“That’s your outfit,” Chloe said. He stared at her in disbelief.

“I can’t wear that,” he protested. Because lying on the bed was a pair of tight black jeans (he could tell by looking at them that they would be tight), a black shirt and a leather jacket.

“You’ve worn similar outfits before,” Chloe pointed out.

“Yes, but I was on red k then,” Clark argued. “I can’t go out like this.”

“Well, you really have no choice,” Chloe said in a matter of fact tone.

“Are we going clubbing or something?” Clark demanded. “And when do I get to meet the mysterious helper?” It was a futile attempt though. Chloe refused to answer his questions.

“Wear the outfit and I will be back in five minutes,” Chloe commanded. She had a “don’t mess with me” look in her eyes and Clark gave in. Pleased, she left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Clark glanced at the outfit again and his stomach sank.

This was going to be a long night.

_The Black Rose._ “Well this is it,” Lois murmured, as she looked at the sign in front of her. Chloe had been mentioning this club all week and she decided tonight, she would give it a try.

Though she was working at the Inquisitor over the summer, she had been applying elsewhere. And a few days ago, all her dreams had come true. She scored a job with the Daily Planet. Perry White had seen her articles for the Inquisitor and told her he thought she had talent. So on Friday, she gave her two weeks notice to her boss, and now she was celebrating.

Granted it was a lonely celebration, as Clark and Chloe both were nowhere to be found, but tonight, she didn’t want to think about that. Tonight, she just wanted to let loose. Being single was tough and she was still painfully single. Because though she had dated a few guys over the past couple of years, nothing had been too serious. She had been fully concentrated on graduating and improving her writing.

This club seemed like the perfect place to take a break from life. She still wasn’t searching for something permanent, just a fun night of flirting and dancing.

She asked Chloe to come with her but Chloe had declined, stating that she already had plans. But she told Lois if she felt a little tipsy then she should call her. Lois smirked. Despite the fact she loved her cousin dearly, sometimes she could get a little overprotective. If anyone could hold their alcohol, it was her. Growing up on a base, she picked up alcohol at a young age and could drink most guys under the table. She knew her limits and had no plans to cross them.

Dressed in a pair of tight faded jeans that hugged her curves and a red tube top, she caught a lot of eyes the minute she walked in.

She headed to the bar. The bartender was cute and it was a good place to start. Taking a seat on one of the bar stools, she gave the bartender a flirty smile and ordered a drink.

“Sure you can handle it?” he asked, a little surprised at her choice. “That’s a pretty strong drink you just ordered.”

“Trust me,” Lois said with a wink. “I can definitely handle it.” He grinned back and began preparing her order.

Minutes later, he handed her the drink she ordered. “Enjoy,” he said.

Her night was starting out pretty well, she decided as she took a sip. _Not bad._ She shot a glance at the floor, where plenty of people were dancing- some in groups and others in pairs.

Smiling, she was about to turn her attentions back to the bartender but then a familiar figure caught her eye.

And her smile faded. _No, it couldn’t be._ But taking a closer look, she found it was. Dancing in the middle of the floor dressed to kill was none other than Clark Kent. And the brunette he was dancing with was definitely not Oliver.

She scanned the entire place, desperately looking for the familiar blonde head. But she didn’t find him and concluded he really wasn’t there. That meant though that Clark was there alone, dancing with another woman.

Was Clark cheating on Oliver? _No way, it’s Clark! He is the most loyal man you know and he loves Oliver._ But the evidence was there.

She whipped out her cell phone and dialed Oliver’s cell number. He picked up within three rings.

“Queen,” he said.

“Oliver, it’s Lois,” Lois said, trying to keep her voice calm.

“Hey Lois,” Oliver said, “It’s been a while. How’ve you been?” Oliver and Lois only saw one another through Clark and even at the graduation party, they didn’t really get to speak.

“I’m pretty good,” Lois replied. “And yourself?”

“I’m not too bad,” Oliver told her. “So what’s up?”

“I was actually trying to get a hold of Clark,” Lois lied. “He’s not picking up his cell phone so I thought I would try you.”

She heard Oliver sigh. “Actually, he went out . . . and I am not exactly sure where.” Lois’s throat tightened at his words.

“You could,” Oliver suggested, “try Chloe. She might know better.” She could hear the underlying disappointment in his tone and her heart went out to him.

“It wasn’t important,” Lois said. “Don’t worry about it. Thanks anyway.”

“No problem,” Oliver replied. “Have a good night, Lois.”

“You too, Oliver,” Lois said. Hanging up, she looked back at the dance floor. Clark and that woman were a little too close for comfort.

This was not right. It was Clark! She thought Oliver and he were so happy together. How could he be cheating on him? Oliver had no idea where Clark was so clearly, there was something going on with them that she didn’t know.

Somehow, she had to get closer to them, see what was going on.

“Excuse me?” a voice came from her right. She turned and met stunning blue eyes. “I was wondering if you’d like to dance.”

He was gorgeous- tall, dark hair and those eyes were just captivating. Not to mention, this would be the best way to get closer to Clark and his mystery woman.

She gave him a winning smile. “I’d love to.” Making sure they were within hearing distance of Clark and the woman, she paid attention to her partner but kept one ear firmly trained on what Clark was saying.

“I’m really glad you could make it tonight,” the woman was saying.

“Me too, Julia,” Clark replied. _Aah, so her name was Julia . . . interesting._

“You don’t have to leave anytime soon, do you?” Julia asked.

“No, I have nowhere to be except here with you,” Clark said.

Lois had to refrained from gasping. _That jerk!_ This was certainly not the Clark that she knew and loved. _Maybe, it like that one time . . . where Clark was under some kind of mind control._ She vaguely remembered that woman but from his voice, Clark was sounding normal.

_As normal as he can get while cheating anyway._ She kept up the pace and made sure her partner didn’t realize her attention was not completely on him.

“You know what?” Julia suggested in a sultry voice, “How about we get out of here? I think our time could be much better spent than dancing.”

_No, say no, idiot._ But Clark could not hear her mental screams.

“Sounds good to me,” he replied, with a grin. Much to her horror, she saw Clark and Julia leave the dance floor.

The song was over. “How about I buy you a drink?” the guy was saying.

“I actually have to go,” Lois said. “But thanks for the dance.” She sped off before he could say anything.

She was feeling slightly nauseous and needed to leave the club immediately. Before she had been ready to party but now, all she wanted to do was run home. Clark Kent was two timing Oliver. What had the world come to?

In one of the darker corners of the room, Clark Kent watched as Lois practically ran out of the club. Only when he heard the roar of an engine did he turn to the woman next to him.

“She’s gone,” he said.

“Julia” took off her dark wig, revealing now messy blonde hair. “Good, because this wig was killing me.” She removed her brown colored contacts and now it was his best friend staring back at him.

Chloe smiled at him, briefly glancing back at the place where Lois had been dancing, too obviously spying on them.

“Mission accomplished.”


	11. Chapter 11

Oliver was not surprised when Clark didn’t return home that night. Still hurt and disappointed but not too surprised. It had been what he was expecting. What he hadn’t been expecting was Lois’s random phone call.

The two of them didn’t keep in touch and really, Clark was their only connection. He saw her when he was visiting Clark at their apartment. Of course, he saw her a few weeks ago at their graduation party but even then, they only spoke for a few minutes.

Considering the fact that she and Chloe were practically sisters, he was stunned that when looking for Clark, she didn’t ask Chloe first.

_I guess it makes sense, because Clark lives here now so she might’ve thought that I would know about his whereabouts._ Oliver snorted. Yeah, right. It was hard to admit that he had no clue where Clark was, his pride took a beating on that one.

_Oliver, stop being so paranoid. Just because Clark is acting strangely doesn’t mean you should suspect everyone._ But there had been something in Lois’s tone that raised his suspicions.

He didn’t know that he wouldn’t get his answers until the following morning. In a coffee shop of all places.

Oliver was just making a morning coffee run. He walked into a nearby café that both he and Clark always enjoyed. After he finished ordering, he turned around and was surprised to see none other than Lois behind him in line.

“Good morning, Lois,” Oliver greeted her.

“Hi Oliver,” she replied. He stepped aside so she could order and waited for her to finish. She seemed to be a little uncomfortable around him, for some reason he couldn’t comprehend. After they got their orders, he smiled at her.

“Why don’t you join me?” he offered. “I was going to go back home but I figure I could hang out here for a bit.” He paused. “Unless you have to be leaving.”

“No, I have time,” Lois said quickly.

“Great,” Oliver said. They took a seat at one of the booths. The place was fairly empty. Lois wasn’t saying anything so Oliver took the initiative. Maybe he could get some answers from Lois about her strange phone call.

“So how have you been?” Oliver asked casually, taking a sip of his latte.

“I’m great,” Lois replied.

“How are things at the Inquisitor?” Oliver questioned, trying to get her to relax.

“Actually, I won’t be working there anymore,” Lois informed him. “I just got a job at the Daily Planet.” She beamed, obviously excited.

“Congratulations,” Oliver said, genuinely happy for her.

“Thanks,” Lois responded. “How about you? From what I read, Queen Industries has never been stronger.”

“Yeah, it’s doing really well,” Oliver said. _Obviously, I work most of the time. What, with no boyfriend, what else do I do?_ “I’m really fortunate,” he added.

“Hey,” Oliver said suddenly, as if the thought just struck him. “Did you ever find Clark?”

Lois looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Clark? Oh . . . no. I didn’t. But it’s fine, it wasn’t important anyway.”

_She’s lying._ Lois was not a very good liar and right now, he could tell that she was hiding something.

“I wasn’t expecting your phone call last night,” Oliver commented. “I mean, I would’ve thought you would’ve gone to Chloe first.”

“Well, he does live with you,” Lois pointed out. “So I thought he might be with you and just not picking up his phone or something.”

“Wherever you were, there was a lot of background noise,” Oliver said, not responding to her statement.

“Yeah,” Lois said, “It was loud.” She took a sip or of her drink but he could see through her attempts to buy time.

“I haven’t seen Clark, but I’ll tell him to call you when I do,” Oliver promised.

“That would be great,” Lois said. She bit her lip. “How are you guys doing?”

“What do you mean?” Oliver asked.

“As a couple,” Lois clarified. “Are you guys . . . okay? You both are happy with one another, right?”

_She knows something._ “I guess,” Oliver said, cracking a smile. “Why do you ask?”

“Just making sure,” Lois told him.

He shot her a teasing grin. “You’re not planning on stealing my boyfriend, are you now, Lois?”

She choked. “Me? No, of course not. Interested in Smallville? You’re out of your mind. I just . . . you both are just so great together. I like to make sure you’re happy.”

Oliver took a deep breath. If he wanted to hear whatever information she had, he had to be honest with their situation.

“Lois, actually, we’re not so good right now,” Oliver confessed.

Lois’s eyes widened. “But you love each other.”

“I love Clark,” Oliver agreed. “But lately, he’s been pulling away from me. He’s hardly ever home and when he is, we barely interact.”

“Oh no,” Lois said sympathetically. “How did this happen?”

“I’m not sure,” Oliver said. In a way, he felt good getting this off his chest. He had been holding all these emotions inside of him and it was driving him crazy. Even if he was telling this to Lois in order to get information out of her, it was nice having someone listen to him for a change.

“One minute we’re on the moon and the next, it’s a mess,” Oliver said sadly. “I have no idea what I said or did. He won’t talk to me.”

“Maybe . . . maybe I can talk to him,” Lois said, worry written into her features. “Or Chloe . . . we might be able to get something out of him . . .”

“Lois,” Oliver said firmly. “Do you know something I don’t?”

“I should get going,” Lois said hastily. “I have to be at the Inquisitor soon . . .” She stood up and began to leave but Oliver grabbed her hand. She turned back.

“Lois, _please,_ ” Oliver begged, not caring anymore about his pride. “If you know something . . . tell me. I don’t care how bad it is.” He let go out of his arm. “I am tired of people hiding things from me.”

Lois sat down. “Oliver, what I’m going to tell you might hurt you.”

“Lois,” Oliver said. “Just say it.”

“Last night, when I called you,” Lois said slowly. “The loud noises . . . I was in a club called The Black Rose.”

“I’ve heard of it,” Oliver said. “It’s fairly new, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is,” Lois replied. “I just wanted a nice night out, to relax and let loose.”

“But what does this have to do with me?” Oliver interrupted.

“I’m getting there,” Lois said, rubbing her hands together. “When I was there . . . I saw Clark.”

“Clark,” Oliver echoed.

“Yeah, and . . . he wasn’t alone,” Lois finished.

Oliver could hardly breathe. “He wasn’t? Who was he there with?”

“This woman,” Lois answered. “Some brunette.”

_Oh, God, no . . . why did he persist?_ “What did you do?”

“I tried to get closer,” Lois said, “Catch a name or something, see what was going on.”

“And what did you find out?” Oliver asked.

“Her name’s Julia,” Lois said. “From what I could tell, she doesn’t know about you. They left together.”

Oliver felt sick. “Julia . . . she called once, left a message. He said she was just a friend.”

“I’m so sorry, Ollie,” Lois said softly.

“Don’t be,” Oliver said. “I need to know more . . . who would know about this?”

“I am not sure,” Lois said. “If he told anybody, it would be Chloe. There’s no way she would’ve approved though. Then again, Clark’s not very good at lying so someone has to know.”

“Chloe,” he murmured. Why didn’t he think about her before? Maybe because he knew she was Clark’s confidante and the chances of her spilling anything to him was slim to none. But this time, he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

This was his heart on the line and now, he couldn’t avoid Clark’s cheating any longer. The evidence had been presented to him and it was time to stop being in denial.

“Oliver?” Lois said, bringing him back to reality, worried that he wasn’t saying anything. “Are you okay?”

“No,” he admitted. “I’m not. But I will be.” He met her gaze. “Thank you for telling me.”

“I didn’t want to get in between you two,” Lois said desperately. “I don’t like being the snitch.”

“You did nothing wrong,” Oliver assured her. “Clark was never going to tell me. I needed to know. Just do me a favor.”

“What’s that?” Lois asked.

“Don’t tell Clark about this conversation we had,” Oliver requested. “Or confront him on what you saw last night.”

Lois agreed immediately. “I won’t.” She hesitated a second. “Are you two going to be able to survive this?”

“I’m not sure, Lois,” he said, draining the last of his coffee. “It all depends on Clark right now.” He pursed his lips together.

“For what it’s worth,” Lois told him. “I hope you two make it.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that,” Oliver said with a smile.

Lois moved to stand up. “Now I really do have to get going . . . but will you be fine?”

“Yeah, don’t worry,” Oliver said. “Have a good day, Lois.”

“You too, Oliver,” she replied and left. Oliver sat there, even after she was gone, digesting the news he had just received.

It was official . . . Clark was cheating on him. He told Lois it was up to Clark but he knew he had some decisions to make.

If he only knew where to start.

Chloe was having a pretty normal day. She was trying to push the previous night’s events out of her mind. No matter how necessary it was to complete the plan, remembering it didn’t make her feel any less ashamed. It had been her idea but it was not one she was proud of. Using her cousin was not the highlight of her life.

Hopefully, though they were finally done. Clark and she had discussed what would happen next. They were both positive Lois would end up spilling everything to Oliver. Clark said he was expecting a confrontation any day now, which would lead to the breakup. She hoped it would be over soon because there was not much more of this she would be able to take.

Everyone was hurting in this situation. Clark cried himself to sleep every night. He didn’t know she knew but she did. Of course, her bedroom was closer to Clark than Lois’s was. And after he had finally fallen asleep, she would go in and check on him.

And every night, her heart would break. Because there he would be, tear streaks on his face, clutching the picture of Oliver close to his heart. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair that they had to go through this.

Currently, she was taking a lunch break and was back in her apartment. She was in the middle of making a sandwich when she heard a knock at the door.

When she opened the door, she was shocked. Because standing on the other side was none other than Oliver.

“Hi Chloe,” Oliver said, smiling.

“Oliver,” Chloe managed to say, stepping aside. “Come on in.”

“Thanks,” he said. Once he was inside, she closed the door.

“This is unexpected,” Chloe said, racking her brain for reasons he could be visiting her. “Clark is not here, you know.” Which was the truth; her best friend had left sometime this morning and she hadn’t seen him since.

“That’s good to know,” Oliver said. “But I’m not here to speak with Clark. I came here for you.”

“For me?” Chloe said, trying to keep her voice from wavering. “Why me?”

“I think you know,” Oliver said coolly. “We need to talk.”

Clark was returning to the apartment and was about to enter when he heard voices from within. He zoned in his hearing and made out Chloe and Oliver’s voices. Oliver was there? And he was talking to Chloe?

Though he wanted to know what was going on in the conversation, he could not just stand there and listen in. Somebody would pass by eventually and it would look odd. So he exited the apartment building and making sure nobody saw him, entered through his window.

Very quietly, he huddled by the door and listened in to what they were saying.

Oliver hated being so harsh with Chloe, someone he adored, but she wasn’t giving him any answers. He brought up what he heard from Lois and she refused to acknowledge that Clark was cheating. She was playing innocent and he needed to know the truth.

“Chloe!” he said, frustrated. “Clark is not the devious type. If he’s cheating on me, and I know he is, he would tell someone.”

“Oliver,” Chloe said weakly. “He hasn’t told me anything.”

“Does the name Julia ring a bell?” Oliver snapped.

Chloe swallowed hard. “Oliver . . .”

“It does,” Oliver realized. “You know that name . . . Chloe, who is she?”

“I just . . .” Chloe looked on the verge of tears.

“Chloe, I’m sorry for yelling,” Oliver said quickly. “But you know Julia . . . Clark’s cheating on me with her. I need to know who she is . . . who is this woman who is taking away my boyfriend?”

“He’s mentioned her . . . a lot,” Chloe said finally. “I don’t really know how they met, he doesn’t give me very many details. Lately, he’s been talking about her more often. I suspected they were more than just friends but whenever I confront him about it, he closes up.”

Oliver clenched his jaw. He really hoped that Lois was wrong but hearing Chloe speak, he was convinced.

“But why?” Oliver whispered. “Why did he turn to her in the first place? I thought he loved me.”

“I thought so too,” Chloe said tearfully. “I don’t know what’s going on with him . . .”

“If you don’t know, nobody has a shot of finding out,” Oliver noted. He shook his head. “I have a lot to think about.”

“What are you going to do?” Chloe asked.

“Not sure,” he said. “I just need to be alone right now.” He gave her a sad smile. “Thank you, Chloe, for all your help. I understand that your loyalties lay with Clark . . .”

“You’re my friend too though,” Chloe declared. “I care about you also, Oliver.”

He smiled. “I should go. Bye Chloe.”

“Bye Oliver,” Chloe said and showed him out. He tried to stay composed until he reached his penthouse again. Where he finally couldn’t stand it any longer and broke down.

He finally found confirmation Clark was cheating on him. Now what?

_Finally, he’s gone._ Chloe breathed a sigh of relief after closing the door. How she survived that interrogation was just a miracle.

“You know,” a voice came from behind her, “if you ever decide to give up journalism, I really think Hollywood would be perfect.” She spun around to see Clark emerging from his bedroom. “That was an Oscar worthy performance right there.”

“Trust me,” Chloe told him, “It wasn’t easy.”

“Well, you did a fantastic job of convincing him,” Clark said, impressed. “That conversation was the final nail in the coffin.”

“I think you’re right,” Chloe said, heading back to the kitchen. “I’m making sandwiches . . . do you want one?”

“No, thanks,” Clark said. “But really, Chloe, thanks for all your help . . . I couldn’t have done this plan without you.”

“Do you think that it’s over?” Chloe asked him.

“Yes, I honestly do,” Clark said. “What you just told him . . . everything is confirmed now. He thinks I’m cheating. If I go home, an argument will ensue, which will lead to our breakup.”

“You’re awfully calm about all this,” Chloe observed.

Clark smiled wryly. “I’m trying not to think about any more than the logistics. Otherwise, I won’t be so collected. Chloe, we’ve come too far for me to crack now. I just have to handle it a little while longer.”

“If you say so,” Chloe said doubtfully. “Are you heading out soon?”

“In a couple of hours,” he replied. “Anyway, let’s change the topic. I heard Lois got a job at the Daily Planet.”

“She did,” Chloe said. And then they fell into their regular pattern, chatting about everything under the sun. Both pretending that in a few hours, Clark wasn’t going to go and break the heart of the man he loved.

However, it seemed that time didn’t just fly when you were having fun, but when you didn’t want it to as well. Clark stuck around the apartment long after Chloe left, just watching a bit of TV. Anything to distract him from his upcoming task. But as evening fell, he knew he had to go back and deal with Oliver. This was what he had been preparing for all these weeks and he could not chicken out now.

The penthouse, he found, was surprisingly quiet. Where was Oliver?

“Clark,” a voice boomed, startling him. He looked to see Oliver coming down the steps and he was . . . smiling? Yes, Oliver Queen seemed elated. Like he won the lottery. He certainly was not acting like he found out his boyfriend was cheating on him.

Scanning the penthouse, he checked if there were any empty alcohol bottles. There weren’t.

“Ollie,” he said cautiously. “What’s up?”

“Not much,” Oliver replied. “How are you doing?”

“I’m . . . fine,” Clark said slowly. “How was your day?”

“My day was good,” Oliver said.

_His day was good?_ “Really?” Clark questioned. “Anything . . . unusual?”

Oliver paused, as if thinking about it. “No, no, nothing unusual. It was pretty normal.”

_Normal? Finding out your boyfriend is cheating on you is normal?_ Clark tried his best to remain calm.

“Anyway,” Oliver continued, “I am making dinner . . . you’ll be here, yes?”

Clark could do nothing but nod.

“Great,” Oliver said cheerfully. “It should be done soon.” He headed back, presumably toward the kitchen, leaving Clark dumbfounded.

_What the hell is going on?_


	12. Chapter 12

“And he didn’t say anything?” Chloe asked, a look over disbelief on her face. Clark and Chloe were having lunch together and Clark had just finished recapping the previous night’s events.

“Nothing,” Clark responded. “I kept trying to get answers from him but he was in such a good mood. It was very weird.”

“He finds out his boyfriend is cheating on him and he’s happy?” Chloe replied. “Was he drunk?”

Clark shook his head. “I thought about that. But I checked the penthouse.” He frowned. “I even x-rayed his head to make sure he didn’t hit it somewhere or something.”

Chloe let out a giggle at his last statement.

“It’s not funny, Chlo,” Clark declared, “I mean, what else am I supposed to do?”

“Clark, you’ve done everything you can,” Chloe said. “Maybe Oliver is trying to catch you off guard.”

“Oliver is the upfront type,” Clark argued. “If he has an issue, he’ll just say it. I have no idea where he is trying to go with this. I mean, he can’t be in denial any longer. Both you and Lois confirmed my cheating. I mean, what is he playing at?”

“I wish I could tell you, Clark,” Chloe stated, “But even I can’t figure this one out.”

“What do I do?” Clark asked. “He was acting all sweet last night . . . and I just didn’t know how to react.”

“Maybe he’s still processing,” Chloe suggested. “He could be acting all nice to your face so that you don’t know he knows but inside, he’s planning what to say. You know Oliver, Clark . . . he doesn’t seem like the type of person to go into these confrontations blind.”

“True,” Clark agreed.

“And,” Chloe said thoughtfully, “he may be looking up Julia too.”

“He’s not going to find anything though,” Clark replied.

“But he doesn’t realize that,” Chloe pointed out. “As far as he’s concerned, he wants information on his boyfriend’s lover.”

“I just have to wait then?” Clark questioned. Chloe shrugged. “Chloe, I can’t wait . . . time is one thing I don’t have.”

“Give it a couple of days, Clark,” Chloe said. “If nothing changes, we’ll come up with a new plan.”

“All right, Chlo,” Clark relented. He forced a smile. “Let’s talk about happier subjects, shall we? How’s Jimmy?”

Chloe seemed to get stiff at his name. “Oh, he’s fine, I’m sure.”

“Chloe?” Clark said cautiously. “Is there something you’re not telling me? You and Jimmy are okay, right?”

“Actually,” Chloe said, “We broke up.”

That news amazed Clark. “Wait, what? Why would you break up?” He frowned. “If he hurt you . . .”

“No,” Chloe said quickly, “He didn’t. It was definitely mutual.”

“It wasn’t me again, was it?” Clark asked worriedly. “I know we’ve been spending a lot of time together lately . . .”

“It wasn’t you,” Chloe assured him. “It’s just, our lives were taking different paths. He wanted more than I could give him.”

“I’m sorry, Chlo,” Clark said sympathetically. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine, Clark,” Chloe said.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Clark wanted to know.

“You were so concentrated on this whole plan for Oliver that I didn’t want to burden you,” Chloe admitted.

Clark squeezed her hand. “Chloe, you are never a burden. I trouble you with my problems all the time. I am more than happy to be your shoulder, you know that?”

“I do know,” Chloe said, with a smile. “And you never trouble me.”

He grinned. “So, did he want marriage or something?”

Chloe hesitated. “No, but we decided doing a long distance relationship wouldn’t work.” Before Clark could ask what she meant, she took a deep breath. “Clark, you know Lois got a job offer from the Planet.”

“Yeah, but what does that have to do with you?” Clark asked. “You already have a job there.”

“I do,” Chloe said. “But recently, I got a better offer. I mean, working full time for the Planet has been my dream since I was a child.”

“Then what changed?” Clark interrupted.

“I got a job offer, an editor’s position,” Chloe explained. “News editor to be exact.”

“Chloe, that’s huge,” Clark exclaimed. “Congratulations!”

“Thanks,” Chloe replied, clearly pleased. “But here’s the catch . . . it was from the Washington Post.”

Clark was stunned. “I guess I’m not the only one leaving.”

Chloe nodded. “Jimmy and I talked about this and we decided that it would be best to part now. We’re still friends though.”

“That’s good,” Clark said. “This is an incredible opportunity, Chlo. I mean, D.C. . . . that’s the heart of all the action.”

“I know,” Chloe said happily. “I’m so excited for this new prospect . . . I am, though, a little nervous about leaving Kansas.”

“Chloe, you’ll do great,” Clark said confidently. “I have no doubts that you’ll take them by storm.”

“You think so?” Chloe asked.

“I know so,” Clark replied.

Chloe beamed and Clark smiled back. They continued chatting, mostly about Chloe’s big move. Eventually, Chloe had to be back at the Planet so they split up. Clark headed back to the penthouse.

Where Oliver was there to greet him. “Hey Clark, how was your lunch?”

“It was good,” Clark responded, observing Oliver, for any signs of frustration or anger. But it was all in moot. The blonde was calm and happy.

“How’s Chloe doing?” Oliver asked, as if he hadn’t just seen her.

“She’s great actually,” Clark informed him. “She’s moving to Washington D.C. because she got a job offer from the Post . . . news editor.”

“That’s wonderful,” Oliver replied. “I always knew she was destined for great things. I’m sure she will shine there too.”

“That’s what I told her too,” Clark agreed. _Wow, we’re actually having a civil conversation._ It had to be the first real conversation they’ve had in weeks.

There was an awkward silence. “How’s your day going?”

“Busy,” Oliver answered. “In fact, I was just leaving for a meeting.” That’s when Clark noticed how formally Oliver was dressed.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you,” Clark told him.

“Clark, if I was in a rush, I would’ve left already,” Oliver said kindly. “But now, I do have to go. I will be back later though.”

Clark didn’t say anything. And was taken aback when Oliver kissed him. It didn’t stop him from kissing him back though.

Oliver pulled away. “Oliver?” Clark said, tilting his head.

“Just getting a bit of luck,” Oliver said, with a wink. Clark couldn’t stop the blush from creeping across his cheeks. He may have matured in some ways but he was still easily flustered.

“Bye Clark,” Oliver said, heading for the elevator.

“Bye Ollie,” Clark replied, watching him leave. He looked around the now empty penthouse. Chloe told him to wait but Oliver was not giving him any signs of being upset. In fact, he was acting less suspicious than before and that couldn’t be normal.

His perfect plan was not working. Now what?

_He’s confused._ Oliver was quite pleased with himself as he went to his meeting. Clark didn’t understand his new attitude and that was just the way he liked it. After he had come home from speaking with Chloe, he had been outraged. Wanted nothing more than to confront Clark and yell at him. If Clark had come home immediately or was there when he returned, he probably would’ve.

But his notable absence gave Oliver time to calm down. And format a plan. The extra time also made Oliver think. What did this Julia have that he didn’t? They had two years worth of history. There is no way what Clark was developing with Julia was anything compared to what the two of them shared.

Oliver wanted to deal with Clark’s infidelity but he didn’t know whether or not he was willing to give him up for good. It would be the smart thing to do, the right thing to do. Breaking up with Clark was what most people would do if they were in his situation. Then again, he wasn’t most people and he had never followed the norm.

He quickly understood that if he confronted Clark, it would send him into Julia’s arms. Despite his cheating, Oliver loved him. That’s when he made the decision that he would win Clark back.

Julia had nothing on him. And that was exactly what he was going to prove to Clark. He was going to continue with his surprise and until then, he was going to act as if he didn’t know anything.

They would have to discuss Clark’s cheating but that would be after Oliver made sure that they were together at all. First, he would weed out Julia and then, work on his boyfriend.

_Just a few more days,_ , Oliver thought, _And Clark’s mine again._

Back at the penthouse, Clark was puzzled on what to do next. _I guess I have to be patient._

As the days passed and there was no change in Oliver’s behavior, Clark grew concerned. And his patience was dying too. Oliver had returned from the meeting that day in a cheerful mood. Over the past couple of days, he had stayed that way.

By the time Friday rolled around, Clark was going insane. He entered the penthouse, having avoided Oliver for most of the day. It was around 6 pm and the day had felt very long.

He headed for the bedroom when a sign on the door stopped him in his tracks.

_DON’T ENTER . . . CLARK, GO STRAIGHT TO THE GUEST BEDROOM!!!_

Was Oliver kicking him out? He never thought Oliver was the dramatic type but apparently, he was wrong. Nevertheless, he followed instructions and went to the room.

Upon entering, he was even more confused. On the bed was an expensive looking suit. Attached was another note. Clark picked it up and scanned it.

_Clark,_

_I know you’re surprised by this note and the sign on the door. No, I am not kicking you out. Wear the suit and go outside. There will be a limo waiting for you. That’s all I’m saying._

_Trust me._

_Love you,_  
 _Ollie_

_What is Oliver up to now?_ There was only one way to find out. He slipped into the suit, which was surprisingly comfortable. When he went downstairs, he saw a black stretch limo waiting for him, and a man, who he assumed was the driver, next to it.

Seeing him, the man gave him a curt nod and opened the door for him. “Good evening, Mr. Kent.”

“Thank you,” he said, before sliding in. He had been in limos before but that was with Oliver. This felt kind of strange.

As the limo took off, he looked around. “Excuse me,” he said, capturing the driver’s attention. “Where are we going?”

“I’m under instructions from Mr. Queen not to tell you that,” he responded. “It is supposed to be a surprise. But I can tell you we will be there in approximately twenty minutes.”

“Okay, thanks,” Clark said.

_A surprise, huh?_ He was a little nervous, unsure of what to expect. Was Ollie going to break up with him in style? There was no way this could be good, could it? The note sounded positive but words could not convey emotions. They were just words . . . Clark had no idea how Oliver was feeling or thinking when he wrote it.

Finally the limo pulled to a stop in front of a dome shaped building.

The driver opened the door for him. Clark stepped out and looked around at the unfamiliar area.

“Just go through the doors,” the driver told him, pointing to the building. “Mr. Queen will be waiting for you there.”

“Thank you very much,” Clark said, smiling. He walked toward the building and taking a deep breath, opened the door. Stepping inside, he gasped at the scene in front of him.

Inside the building was a large room, which was beautifully decorated. The ceiling was made of large glass windows, giving a picture perfect view of the clear night sky. Even the weather was cooperating, not a cloud in sight and Clark was certain he had never seen the stars look brighter.

His attention, however, was not on the stars but in the center of the room, where a table was set up for two. Candlesticks on the table gave the room and the dim lighting gave the room a lovely glow.

Beside the table was the most gorgeous part of the entire room . . . Oliver. Dressed in an elegant suit, his hair in its natural spikes, and his eyes shining, he took Clark’s breath away.

“Ollie?” he questioned.

“Surprise,” Oliver said, smiling.

“What is this?” Clark asked, “I mean . . . it’s not a special occasion or anything . . .”

“Clark, I just did this for us,” Oliver said, taking a few steps toward him. “We haven’t had a romantic evening together in ages and I thought this would be nice.”

“It’s . . . amazing,” Clark said, looking around. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I didn’t have to,” Oliver agreed, “But I wanted to.”

Clark was feeling nauseous. He had been planning a break up and Oliver had been spending so much time and effort doing this. And even after he found out that Clark was cheating, he continued with his plans to give them a special evening. To give _him_ a special evening.

Out of nowhere, a waiter showed up, holding a bottle of wine. He poured them two glasses and gave Oliver a curt nod. Oliver nodded back and the waiter left the bottle on the table, leaving as quickly as he had arrived.

Oliver picked up both of the glasses and handed him one. He accepted it. Oliver raised his glass and Clark did the same.

“I know we’ve been having some issues lately, Clark,” Oliver stated. “But I want you to know that I love you. Even before we started dating, I was in love with you. My feelings over the past two years have only deepened and every time I wake up next to you, I fall in love with you all over again.”

Tears prickled at the back of Clark’s eyes. He was trying desperately not to cry. Oliver’s words were going straight to his heart.

“You’re my soul mate, Clark,” Oliver declared passionately, “And I want to spend forever and a day with you. So I’m making a toast . . . to us.”

“To us,” Clark echoed, clicking glasses with Oliver, remaining calm outwardly, despite the fact his heart was shattering into a million pieces.

Oliver looked pleased. More waiters showed up, holding food. Clark watched as they set it on the table and left once again.

“Come along,” Oliver said, “I believe the appetizers have arrived.” Clark nodded, unable to speak.

They were seated and the food was served. The appetizers were delicious and when the entrees came, Clark was surprised he even had room. All the dishes were heavenly, but Clark was too wound up with guilt to properly enjoy them. Oliver and he had a pleasant conversation over dinner and not once did Oliver bring up Julia or the conversations he had with Chloe and Lois.

Clark was on the edge of his seat, just waiting for something to happen. Waiting for Oliver to say anything that would indicate he knew.

But Oliver didn’t. They finished dinner and their plates were taken away.

“Did you enjoy your meal?” Oliver asked.

“It was wonderful,” Clark said honestly. “This whole evening has been remarkable.”

“It’s only just begun, my love,” Oliver told him, standing up. “They’re going to bring out dessert soon but I thought we could take a short break from the food.”

Clark didn’t know what he meant by those words. At least until Oliver snapped his fingers and suddenly, the quiet room was filled with the sound of Michael Bublé’s crooning voice.

_You're a falling star, You're the get away car._  
 _You're the line in the sand when I go too far._  
 _You're the swimming pool, on an August day._  
 _And you're the perfect thing to say._

Oliver held out his hand to Clark. “May I have this dance?”

_Oh, God, why is he doing this to me?_ But Clark couldn’t refuse the offer and took Oliver’s hand, allowing him to lead him onto the floor. 

_And you play it coy, but it's kinda cute._  
 _Ah, When you smile at me you know exactly what you do._  
 _Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true._  
 _Cause you can see it when I look at you._

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times_  
 _It's you, it's you, You make me sing._  
 _You're every line, you're every word, you're everything._

“I always think of you when I hear this song,” Oliver whispered into his ear.

Clark didn’t say anything, just continued swaying to the music. It felt so good to be in Oliver’s arms yet so horrible at the same time. This song was absolutely beautiful and he’d always loved it.

_You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,_  
 _And you light me up, when you ring my bell._  
 _You're a mystery, you're from outer space,_  
 _You're every minute of my everyday._

Clark had to smile a little at the “outer space” part. This song was really choking him up and no longer did he trust himself to speak. Oliver caught the smile and smiled back at him.

“I think he wrote the song for you, my love,” Oliver said.

“He doesn’t even know me, Ollie,” Clark teased, managing to produce words at last.

“He should,” Oliver said. “I know I feel blessed to have you in my life.”

“Come off it, Ollie,” Clark said, trying to keep his emotions together.

“And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,” Oliver sang softly, along with the song. His boyfriend had a beautiful voice. “And I get to kiss you, baby, just because I can. Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through. And you know that's what our love can do.”

That was Clark’s breaking point. He pulled away from Oliver’s embrace, guilt written all over his expression.

“Clark?” Oliver said, questions in his eyes. He tried approaching him but Clark shook his head, backing away.

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times_  
 _It's you, it's you, You make me sing_  
 _You're every line, you're every word, you're everything._  
 _So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La_  
 _So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La_

“Clark, talk to me,” Oliver pleaded.

“I’m sorry,” Clark said sadly, the tears he had been holding in so long welling up in his eyes. “I can’t . . . I’m so sorry.” And without a look back, he ran out of the room.

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times_  
 _It's you, it's you, You make me sing._  
 _You're every line, you're every word, you're everything._  
 _You're every song, and I sing along._  
 _'Cause you're my everything._  
 _Yeah, yeah_  
 _So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La_  
 _So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La_

Clark was running faster than he had ever run in his entire life. He made it back to the penthouse and flew in through the balcony. Opening the doors, he went straight for the bedroom and swung the door open.

And then the tears began to stream down his face. The entire room was filled with unlit candles and the bed’s normal green sheets were replaced with black satin sheets. Rose petals covered the bed. Oliver had indeed gone all out. If Clark was feeling awful before, he was sick to his stomach now. Unable to look at the room, he left the penthouse, going to the first place he could think of.

When he got to the apartment, he realized he had forgotten his key. Knocking the door, he was relieved when Chloe opened. She gasped when she saw the state he was in.

“Clark, come in,” she said worriedly. Clark let himself be taken inside and dragged to the couch.

“Clark, what happened?” Chloe asked. But he couldn’t say anything and choked a sob.

“Hey, hey, come here,” Chloe said gently, pulling him into her arms. “Talk to me, Clark.”

That’s what Oliver had wanted him to do and he couldn’t do it.

“Chloe,” he said, between sobs. “It didn’t work . . . all the planning, all the lies, the perfect set ups . . . and it didn’t work.”

“What didn’t work, Clark?” Chloe asked, stroking his back as he cried.

“The plan,” Clark said, meeting her eyes. “It backfired.” He sniffed. “And now everything is ruined."


	13. Chapter 13

Oliver stared at the spot where Clark had been. _What just happened?_ This couldn’t be real. No, this was not how it was supposed to go at all. Clark running out had not been part of the plan. His boyfriend had been acting strange all night though.

Clark had probably thought Oliver hadn’t noticed but he had. He just thought the night was salvageable. Despite his nervousness, Clark seemed to be having a good time. Then that dance happened. And everything changed.

The guilt on Clark’s face told him everything that needed to be said. He didn’t need to ask why Clark looked so ashamed. What was the point in asking questions that he already knew the answers to? It was confirmation, though . . . confirmation to everything he had been dreading.

He had heard it from Lois and it had been supported by Chloe but Oliver had wanted to hear it from Clark. Clark hadn’t said the words but his actions proved that he was, indeed, cheating. Oliver didn’t know what his running away meant but he couldn’t think about it, didn’t want to think about it.

Part of him realized that this night may give him answers that he would not like. But now he was wishing he hadn’t asked the questions.

_The truth hurts._ Yeah, no kidding.

It took a good half an hour before Chloe could calm Clark down long enough so he would explain what happened. Once he started talking, he found he couldn’t stop. Chloe was stunned at the story.

“So what you’re saying,” she summarized, “is that your boyfriend planned a romantic evening out for you and you ran away?”

Clark nodded miserably. “I just felt so awful, I couldn’t stand there and pretend nothing was wrong.” He sniffed. “You should’ve seen him, Chloe . . . he was so amazing. He has been working so hard to make this night magical for me. I can’t imagine the time and money he must have spent. And here I was, plotting for the end of our relationship. Still, I tried so hard to keep it together but then there was that song . . .”

Tears filled his eyes again and spilled over, as the memories hit him. He thought he was all cried out. Apparently not. Chloe comforted him immediately.

“Clark, it’s okay, we don’t have to talk about this tonight,” she assured him. “Get some sleep and we’ll discuss it in the morning.” He smiled weakly.

“Thanks, Chloe.”

Chloe gave him a sympathetic smile. “You don’t have to thank me, Clark. Now go get some rest.”

“Good night,” Clark said.

“Night Clark,” Chloe replied. He headed to his bedroom and slipped into his pajamas. Then, he crawled into his bed. Shifting slightly, he glanced at the smiling picture of Oliver and him, still resting on his dresser.

Fresh tears emerged as he noticed how happy they looked. And as he realized that they would never be that happy ever again.

Chloe shut the door softly. Clark had finally fallen asleep. Actually, he had cried himself to sleep. Her heart ached for her best friend, who was so heartbroken. And it ached for Oliver, who was doing God knows what right now. She wanted to call him to make sure he was okay but that would alert him on Clark’s whereabouts. That erased it as a possibility.

For what felt like the millionth time since they began, she cursed this plan. Clark had claimed it was for the best and that they had no choice. But how could something that hurt two people she loved so much be for the best?

She had her own theories on why Oliver had not confronted Clark and instead, had set up the romantic evening he had but she would keep them to herself for now. Clark and she had plans to talk in the morning anyway.

Right now, she would go to bed and get some rest. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Oliver stumbled into his penthouse around two in the morning. He had stayed for hours, hoping stupidly that Clark would come back. But of course, he hadn’t. Eventually, he gave up and left, returning home.

He looked around the empty penthouse and was downcast. _Clark has been here._ His scent lingered in the room. Slowly, he made his way to the bedroom and the door, as he expected, was slightly open.  
 _  
Clark has been here and he has seen my surprise._ This was supposed to be the perfect ending for their night. In his mind, Clark was thrilled with the surprise and they spent the evening enjoying one another’s company. Then, they would return to the penthouse, where they could profess their love in ways that are more physical.

The next few days would’ve been spent talking . . . about everything. Oliver would not even have to confront Clark on his cheating, Clark would share that information on his own. They would talk about why Clark felt the need to stray and what they would do to see it didn’t happen again.

Oliver would be hurt and upset and mistrusting of Clark but Clark would be more than willing to win back his trust. Eventually, he would and they’d be happy.

_Talk about an idealistic view of the future, Queen. Disney called, they want their script back._

He realized it was a tad bit unrealistic but he had his hopes. Somehow, he had remained optimistic about their situation and truly believed their relationship was strong enough to cross the hurdles they were facing.

His heart, even though it was being broken on a daily basis, had carried a bit of hope for a happier future.

After tonight, even that was gone.

Sunshine, which he usually basked in, as it gave him his abilities, stirred him out of his sleep and caused him to groan. Sunshine meant the morning had come and he had survived the night. But the arrival of the new day meant facing what happened the night before and Clark just wasn’t ready.

Opening his eyes, he blinked a few times, getting used to the light. He groggily looked around the room and remembered where he was. _Oh, God, last night . . . Ollie._ The memories returned at full force and he wanted to bury himself back in the blankets.

However, he knew avoiding the world was not an option. There was less than a week till he had to leave. Action would have to be taken and soon.

By the time he got ready, Chloe was already in the kitchen. She handed him a cup of coffee and toast.

“Thanks, Chlo,” he said gratefully.

“You’re lucky,” Chloe said, “Lois is not here . . . so we can talk in peace.”

He nodded and they both sat at the table. “All right, Clark,” Chloe said. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, Chlo,” Clark replied honestly. “I mean, I was waiting on a breakup and instead, he sets up this amazingly romantic night. For the most part I was making it through and then this song comes on . . . and I just couldn’t do it anymore. I left.”

“And you came here,” Chloe finished.

“No, I went back to the penthouse first,” Clark told her. “And in the bedroom . . . it was all decorated and that’s when I came here.”

“What are you going to do now?” Chloe questioned.

“I’m not sure,” Clark admitted. Chloe hesitated for a moment. “Chlo? If you have a suggestion, please spill.”

“Clark,” Chloe suggested, “Maybe . . . maybe it’s time to stop the plan. It’s obviously not working and Oliver is fighting harder than ever to salvage your relationship. We’ve done our best . . . shouldn’t we concede?”

“Concede?” Clark repeated. “Chlo, I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Chloe demanded. “Clark, I thought about it and Oliver didn’t break up with your because he thinks you two can work through this. Which means that even if he thinks you’ve been cheating on him, he wants to get past it. How is it fair that we’re continually messing with his mind?”

“What do you want me to do, Chloe?” Clark asked desperately. “Go to him and be like ‘Oh, Ollie, by the way, the whole thing was a set up. I’m not really cheating on you, and oh yeah, I’m leaving in a couple of days. See you in a couple of years’.”

“Not those exact words,” Chloe replied, frowning. “And will it really take years?”

“I’m not sure, Chloe,” Clark confessed. “But Jor-El said a while so I’m pretty positive I won’t be back in six months.”

“What a mess,” Chloe sighed.

“Don’t you see, Chlo?” Clark persisted. “We’re too far into this. There’s no going back now. We have to finish it.”

“All right,” Chloe said reluctantly. “You’re not going to back down, are you?”

He shook his head. “No,” he said firmly. “If anything, this has just strengthened my determination. Look at him, Chlo, he does so much. He deserves more than me and I’m going to make sure he gets it. Or at least has the opportunity to get it.”

“Well, if you need a new plan,” Chloe said, “I’m going to need to think about it.”

“No need,” Clark said. “I already came up with something.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow, surprised. “You have?”

“Yeah,” Clark said. “But I’m going to need your help.”

Chloe glanced at Clark’s expression and her heart sank. She was not going to like this plan.

_God help us all._

Clark not coming home that night should’ve been something he was used to but that particular night, it hurt more than ever. Where had he gone? Did he even want to know? He hadn’t even want to get out of bed that morning. Oliver felt as if his day was going in slow motion. The first thing he did when he got up was check his phone to see if Clark had called.

He hadn’t. _You shouldn’t be so surprised, he did leave. Did you really think he was going to call and let you know where he is? Pathetic._

His inner voice really cruel and he hated that it was right. “Okay,” Oliver muttered, “Enough of this inactivity. I’ve tried everything . . . it’s time for a confrontation. I want answers and I want them now.”

And he was going to get them. He had spent most the morning pitying himself but not anymore. Nobody, not even Clark Kent, was going to break his willpower. This situation would be settled. He had been nice, he had been understanding but that didn’t work so it was time to be demanding. His boyfriend would not escape so easily this time.

First, he would have to find out where Clark was.

Clark looked around his loft. Chloe and he had worked out the last details of the plan. This time, there wouldn’t be room for doubt. It ends tonight.

Chloe had not been too pleased with his plot but she had agreed to go along with it. He hated what he was doing to her but he couldn’t do this alone. This portion of the plan, he needed her more than ever.

But before he broke Oliver’s heart one final time, he had something to do. Setting up the video camera, he aimed it at the couch. Making sure it was on and recording, he took a seat.

Taking a deep breath, he began. “Hi Ollie, I know you’re wondering why I am doing this but there is something I have to tell you . . .”

Calling Clark’s cell phone was a dumb idea but Oliver did it anyway. Clark didn’t pick up. If he didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t pick up.

Why he wasted time calling the apartment he didn’t know but his next stop, Chloe, would be much more successful.

“Sullivan,” Chloe answered.

“Good afternoon, Chloe,” Oliver said.

“Oliver?” Chloe said.

“How are you doing?” Oliver asked politely.

“Fine,” Chloe said, a hint of nervousness in her voice. “What can I do for you, Oliver?” _Now, Chloe, why are you nervous? Is it because you have something to hide? Like, perhaps, my boyfriend?_

”You can tell me where Clark is,” Oliver said, not wasting time on being subtle.

“Clark?” Chloe squeaked. “Why would I know where Clark is?”

“Stop being naïve, Chloe,” Oliver said, exasperated. “Clark’s probably contacted you and told you what took place last night. He’s gone and I need to find him. It is in your best interests to just let me know where he is.”

“Oliver, I don’t know where he is,” Chloe insisted.

“Chloe,” Oliver said, his tone slightly colder. “Stop lying to me. This is my boyfriend we’re dealing with. Either you are going to tell me over the phone, or I am going to come over there and it will be a lot more awkward. And trust me, if I have to come over there, this will be a lot less pleasant.”

“Are you threatening me?” Chloe asked.

“Let’s call it a warning,” Oliver said. “Now how about the details?” He sighed, his anger dying as quickly as it came. “Chloe, he’s playing games . . . and I know he’s your best friend. But I can’t do this anymore. I need to find him.”

“I know,” Chloe acknowledged. “I do know what happened last night . . . he spent the night at the apartment. But he took off early this morning. I have no clue where he is.”

“Now how am I supposed to find him?” Oliver said. Usually he was more suave than this, quicker on his feet. It was difficult to be rational though, when you were running around with a broken heart.

Chloe paused. “Well, if you want to track him down, I could GPS his cell phone.”

_Of course!_ “Would he have it on?” Oliver wanted to know.

“He always does,” Chloe replied. “Give me a few minutes.”

That was such an obvious solution. Why didn’t he think about that? _At least Chloe did._

A few minutes later, as promised, Chloe was back on the line. “He’s at the farm.”

“Thanks, Chloe,” Oliver said gratefully. “I appreciate this.”

“You’re welcome, Oliver,” Chloe said. But she sounded off, even as they said their goodbyes. Was there guilt in her tone? He couldn’t tell but at this point, he was focused on other things.

He had a boyfriend to find. Getting ready, he quickly got to his car and went at full speed toward the Kent Farm. It made sense that Clark would be there and he felt a little foolish for not checking there before. But it was better to hear it from Chloe before he made the hour’s trip to Smallville and just wasted more time.

Fortunately, there wasn’t any traffic and he arrived in Smallville on schedule. Parking in front of the farm, he stepped out and hoped he hadn’t made too much noise. The last thing he wanted to do was have Clark hear him and flee. Then he would have no hope of finding him again.

_Where would Clark be?_ The loft . . . that’s where Clark spent most of his time, when he was on the farm.

Slowly, he made his way up the stairs and onto the area, which he knew so well.

He started to say Clark’s name but the words died on his lips before they got out. Because sitting on the couch, the couch where they shared so many memories, was his boyfriend . . . making out with another woman.


	14. Chapter 14

Oliver’s heart was pounding as he stared at the scene in front of him. _No._ This wasn’t happening. Oh, God, this couldn’t be happening. Yes, he knew Clark was cheating but did he have to do it so blatantly?

He had left Oliver the night before and ran into the arms of the other woman, his mistress so to say. Oliver could barely breathe. Clark had made his decision and it wasn’t him.

Trying to salvage what was left of his dignity, he said in a cool voice. “Well, doesn’t this look cozy?”

Hearing him, Clark and the woman split immediately. Clark’s mouth dropped, upon seeing him.

“Oliver,” he managed. “What . . . How . . . When?” Those luscious lips Oliver was so fond of kissing was brighter than usual.

As for the other woman, she wasn’t looking at him. All he could see was brown hair, slim figure . . . _this must be Julia._ But he didn’t focus on her. He zeroed in on his boyfriend.

“How?” he said mockingly, “Well, luckily, I, or Chloe anyway, GPS’d your cell phone. When? Just now. As for what, I think you know.”

All his hurt, all his pain, he was channeling into anger. Clark was staring at him, eyes wide.

“Well?” Oliver demanded. “Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?” He sneered, though inside, he was dying.

Clark was silent and Oliver shook his head. “I don’t know why I bother.”

He turned on his heel and stormed out, taking the steps two are a time. Once he made it to his car, he took off, hitting over 90 miles an hour the entire way. How he made it home without getting into an accident or getting caught by a cop, he didn’t know but somehow, he managed.

Only when he entered the penthouse did the reality of the situation hit him. All his anger died on the spot, replaced by a mind numbing pain.

His head was spinning and he stumbled to his bedroom. The room was still decorated, decorations that had filled him with giddiness when he was setting them up, but now looking at the candles and the black satin bed sheets made him sick.

Crawling on the bed, he rested his head on the pillow. Staring at the picture of Clark on the dresser, his heart ached.

_Why, Clark, why did you do this to me?_

On the farm, Chloe and Clark were sitting on the couch, solemn.

“You know,” Chloe said suddenly, “I bought that wig for Halloween . . . I never got to use it then.”

“Well I think it got enough use over the past few days,” Clark pointed out. She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. He couldn’t blame her, this was a pretty emotionally exhausting plan they just completed.

Clark had come up with this final stage on his own. He knew if Oliver was to ever accept the fact that he was being cheated on, he’d have to see it. Chloe was shocked but she had agreed to be “Julia”. It was a little weird kissing her, as he hadn’t been romantically interested in her for a long time, but they had certainly fooled Oliver.

When Oliver had made that phone call, they had both been in the farm, and Clark had been beyond nervous. Chloe had handled it very well though and when she hung up, they knew they were well on their way.

But the biggest part had yet to come. He could hear Oliver driving down but only when he was almost up the stairs did Clark kiss Chloe. _I did it, I can’t believe I actually did it._ He shot a glance at Chloe, both of them quiet, lost in their own thoughts.

“So,” Chloe said, breaking the awkward silence.

“So,” Clark said, not knowing what to say either. Neither of them mentioned Oliver or what had just taken place, even though it was clear that that was the only thing on their minds.

“I guess this time the mission really is accomplished,” Chloe noted softly. And that was all it took to break him.

“Oh God.” What he had just done smacked him at full force. “I really did it.”

“Clark,” Chloe said, putting a hand on his knee but he shook his head furiously. He didn’t deserve sympathy or any comfort. Not after he had just destroyed Oliver the way he had.

“Did you see his face?” Clark whispered.

“I did,” Chloe admitted. She had been trying not to, too embarrassed that she had partook in this plan. But she had and she saw the devastation that rested in those brown eyes. He had tried to play it off as anger but she could feel his pain. And was disgusted with herself.

“I can’t believe we did it,” Clark said.

“What now?” Chloe wondered.

“I think our work has been done for us,” Clark said. “He’s angry . . . it’s all a matter of confronting him. Say the right words and it’s over.”

“The right words?” Chloe echoed.

“Trust me, I can take it from here,” Clark said sadly. He glanced at her. “Thank you . . . for all your help. I know how hard this has been and I really appreciate you sticking with me anyway.”

“I’ll always be here for you, Clark,” Chloe told him. “Even if I don’t like what you’re doing, you’re my best friend in the entire world and I’d never abandon you.”

He smiled. “Mom is coming home tomorrow . . . we should all definitely spend time together . . . before I go.”

“When is she arriving?” Chloe questioned.

“Tomorrow,” Clark said.

“What are you going to tell her about you and Oliver?” Chloe asked, sensing his anxiety.

“I have no idea,” Clark confessed. “I mean, what am I supposed to tell her?” He sighed. “She’s going to end up getting the truth and she won’t be happy.”

“It’s your mom, Clark,” Chloe said. “She will be a bit disappointed, I’m sure, but she will understand.”

“Yeah,” Clark said, standing up. “I guess so.” He met Chloe’s eyes. “But now, I have somewhere to be . . . I have been stalling long enough.”

“You’re going to go talk to Oliver?” Chloe wanted to know.

“It’s time,” Clark said seriously.

“Good luck,” Chloe told him.

“I’ll need it,” Clark agreed. “I’ll call you later then?”

“You better,” Chloe said. “Or just come see me afterwards.”

“I will,” Clark promised and he watched her leave. Her car was parked next to the truck and it was so small that Oliver hadn’t noticed it. Fortunately, he knew that Oliver would be too set on his path. Otherwise, the blonde was too observant for his own good and would’ve recognized Chloe’s car immediately.

When he saw her drive off, he got prepared to leave as well. He had no idea what he was going to say.

But he knew he couldn’t wait any longer. _It’s time._ The moment that he had been planning for was here.

 _Please don’t let me screw it up._ Then again, he already had.

Oliver heard Clark come in and stood up. Quickly fixing his hair and straightening his clothes, he made sure he was presentable. No way was he going to look pathetic. No matter how miserable he felt inside.

When he climbed down the stairs, he saw Clark scanning the room intently.

“Looking for something?” he asked coolly, standing at the bottom of the steps, drawing Clark’s attention to him.

“I was . . . looking for you,” Clark stammered.

“Here I am,” Oliver said, his tone unchanging. He took a few steps toward Clark. “I live here and unlike some people, I don’t disappear randomly.”

“Oliver,” Clark tried.

“What, Clark?” Oliver interrupted. “Are you here to give me some lame excuse? It wasn’t what it looked like? She tripped and her mouth landed on yours?” The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.

“I’m not denying what you saw,” Clark said.

“That would be the smart thing to do,” Oliver agreed. “Because denying at this moment would be the dumbest choice you could make.”

“I didn’t mean for you to find out like that,” Clark started.

“Oh, but I didn’t,” Oliver interjected. Seeing Clark’s shocked expression, he smirked. “Surprised? You should be. When were you partying it up with your ‘friend’, Julia, at The Black Rose, did you realize Lois was there too?”

Clark paled and Oliver continued. “No? Well, she was. In fact, she even called me from the club, so shocked she was at what she saw. I had the fortune of running into her the next day. See, she’s as bad a liar as you are so getting the info out of her wasn’t too difficult. Then, Chloe confirmed that you were indeed good friends with Julia. But it seems you’ve been hiding from your best friend as well. Done a lot of lying recently, haven’t we?”

“Ollie . . .” Clark began but Oliver was quick to cut him off.

“No, you see, you don’t get to talk,” Oliver hissed, “I gave you plenty of chances to talk. For the past few weeks, I’ve been begging and pleading for you to open up to me. But did you? No, never, not once. So now I’m going to talk and you’re going to listen.”

Clark nodded wordlessly.

“Good,” Oliver went on. He laughed bitterly. “Do you know, I found out all of this days ago? And yet, I still planned your surprise. Because, foolish me thought that I could win you back. That worked out well.”

Clark bit his lip but didn’t say anything. His compliance infuriated Oliver further.

“You ran away from me,” Oliver said, his fury building and he wasted no effort in hiding his pain. “And straight to her. What did I do wrong, Clark? To make you cheat? All I did was love you . . . and you threw my love back in my face.”

Clark remained silent. “All right, Clark, speak,” Oliver snapped. “I want to know why.”

“Ollie, I just . . . I don’t know,” Clark said, not meeting his eyes.

“I’m always the one asking questions, aren’t I?” Oliver commented. “Let’s not break the tradition then. When did you meet her and how did this little tryst begin?”

“In class, that part was the truth,” Clark answered. “We were friends for months but we became more than just friends a few weeks ago. I mean, she flirted with me and what not but I only did something about it recently.” He swallowed hard. “And no, she doesn’t know about you.”

“This was recent then,” Oliver stated. “Why, Clark? What happened to us? Why did you cheat on me?”

“I’m not sure,” Clark said.

“Don’t give me that bull,” Oliver retorted. “You must have had a reason. You said it yourself, you held out for months and then just gave in . . . we were perfect. Why did you have to go to her?”

“We were not perfect,” Clark argued.

“YES, we were,” Oliver yelled. It took all his willpower not to walk up to Clark and just shake him. Make him see what he was doing, what he was saying.

“How could we be perfect when I was feeling so trapped?” Clark finally exploded.

Oliver was certain his heart stopped beating. He could feel the blood rushing from his face and it was a miracle that he was still standing.

“Trapped?” he managed to choke out.

“Yes, trapped,” Clark said. “Why else do you think I cheated? God, Oliver, I needed freedom. You were talking marriage and being together forever . . . I’m 23 years old. I just graduated college and I am still trying to figure out my life . . . how can I give myself to someone when I don’t even know who I am?”

“Well, Clark, it’s two years too late for that one,” Oliver said icily, finding his voice. “In fact, if I recall, you were the one who brought up marriage first. What did you think we were? Just hanging around for two years? If you felt confused, you should’ve talked to me about it!”

“I _tried_ ,” Clark said. “Every time I mentioned separation, you went on about how we’re going to be together forever. It drove me insane . . .”

“ _That_ was your attempt?” Oliver countered. “That was pathetic! You kept asking these vague questions and confusing me . . . how about saying it straightforward? I think I deserve that much, Clark. I’ve always been honest and upfront with you . . . hence my telling you about my feelings. You’re the _only one_ I’ve ever done this with. And excuse me if I expect the same courtesy from you!”

“Oliver,” Clark said, “I just needed my space. I felt like the walls were closing in on me. I was attracted to Julia before and I don’t know . . . we were talking and before I knew it, we were kissing.”

“So this whole thing is my fault?” Oliver demanded. “For loving you and wanting to be with you? I pushed you to cheat, is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Clark said. “I just . . . wanted my independence.”

“And how does Julia feel about that?” Oliver shot back.

“We’re not exclusive or anything,” Clark shrugged. “We just . . . got together sometimes.”

“Ahh, nice to know,” Oliver said sarcastically, his eyes blazing. “I don’t know if you remember . . . but we were exclusive. How could you do this to me? I _loved_ you . . . damn it, I still love you. Which is absolutely ridiculous considering the circumstances.” He shook his head. “But you just never felt that strongly, did you?”

“Ollie . . .” Clark said, “It wasn’t my intention to . . .”

“To what?” Oliver inquired, “To hurt me? You did. I was going to forgive you for the cheating . . . I was willing to work on our relationship . . . get it back to where it was.” His voice cracked slightly. “I gave you all of me . . . you were my fucking world, Clark. I would’ve loved you forever, given you whatever you wanted. And you . . .” Oliver choked. “You tore me apart . . . broke my heart and stamped on the remaining pieces.”

The guilt in Clark’s eyes was evident. _Good, let him feel guilty. He should._ Oliver was vengeful. In pain beyond belief but the anger was still there.

“Why are you just standing there, Clark?” Oliver taunted. “You wanted your freedom . . . well, now it’s yours.”

“What are you saying?” Clark asked.

“I’m saying, it’s over,” Oliver said, his voice surprisingly stable. “This . . . we’re over.” _Two years of my live . . . over. The love I was sure would last forever . . . over. You and me . . . over._

Clark didn’t argue, didn’t fight. “If that’s what you want.”

“That’s not what I wanted, Clark,” Oliver yelled. “I wanted forever . . . this is what you pushed me to. This is all your fault. And I will never forgive you. Don’t even try that ‘let’s be friends’ bullshit because that is not going to happen.” He took a few calming breaths. “I want you to turn around and walk out that door. Then I never want to see you again.”

Clark looked like he had been stricken. _Oh, don’t even bother Clark,_ Oliver thought nastily, _at this moment, you won’t be getting any sympathy from me. The puppy dog look doesn’t work anymore._  
  
“I guess you’ve made up your mind,” Clark said.

“I have,” Oliver agreed. “And now it’s time for you to leave. I can’t even look at you right now without screaming. Go, Clark . . . go now before I do something we both regret.”

Clark nodded and turned to leave. “I guess I’ll come back for my stuff.”

“No, I meant it when I said I didn’t want to see you again,” Oliver said stiffly. “I will send your stuff to the farm.” _The ones that escape my wrath anyway._

Clark headed to the elevator and shot him one last look before the doors closed. “Bye Oliver.”

“Goodbye, Clark,” Oliver said and watched as the doors closed, taking Clark away from him forever.

Clark was gone . . . the best relationship of his life was now over. He took the glass that was sitting on his desk and smashed it again the wall. Then he proceeded to do the same with every piece of furniture that he could pick up in the room.

In a matter of minutes, whatever could be broken in the room was. Oliver sank to his knees, head in his hands, defeated. _I love him . . . and he’s gone._ The realization hit like a ton of bricks.

That’s when the first tear fell.

 _And the award for the best actor goes to_ . . . Obviously him. Clark stared at Oliver was the doors closed, taking in every feature, memorizing every inch, knowing that this would be the last time he saw him.

When the doors closed, he pulled out the DVD, composing of his confession. He desperately wanted to tell Oliver the truth and this was the only way he knew how. But he couldn’t give it to him. At least not directly. Using his heat vision, he created and opened in the metal walls of the elevator but was careful not to do any damage to the system or set off any alarms.

He hid the DVD in a pocket and melded it back so there was no noticeable difference. Oliver would never find the DVD but Clark felt slightly better having handed it over. Not much but just a little bit.

 _I did it._ He had, he created a plan and it worked out just like it was supposed to. Then why did he feel like such an ass?

_Because you are one. You broke the love of your life’s heart. Destroyed it. Didn’t you hear him? You smashed it into pieces and stepped on it. Those were his words, remember?_

How he was able to stand there and act cool when Oliver was self-destructing, he had no idea. It had taken everything he had not to rush to Oliver and take the blonde into his arms, and apologize again and again.

Tears were streaming down his face as he ran back to Smallville. He knew he told Chloe he would go see her but right now, he just didn’t want to face anyone.

He made it back to the farm within minutes and was taken aback to hear a noise from within. Approaching the main house slowly, he entered through the kitchen. And gasped.

His mother was standing there, cooking, as if she never left.

She spun around when she heard him. “Clark! Surprise! I’m home early . . . I thought we could spend some time together before you took off on your training and . . .” Her voice trailed off when she took a good look at him. “Clark? Sweetie, what’s wrong?”

“Mom,” Clark said tearfully. “I screwed up.” Martha looked worried and she quickly pulled Clark into her arms. He held onto her, unwilling to let go.

“It’s okay, Clark,” she said softly, “Whatever it is, it will be okay. We’ll get through this together. I promise.”

_No, it won’t . . . if you only knew, Mom. If you only knew what I did. Then you’d realize too . . . realize that it won’t be okay. Nothing will ever be okay again._

On the other side of town, Chloe watched her phone. _Call me, Clark . . . I need to know what happened._ She was pretty sure of what happened. This plan was foolproof . . . unless Clark cracked, she knew that they had probably broken up.

 _Why did it have to be this way?_ Chloe stared at the phone, which was still not ringing. _Please, call, Clark, tell me you’re okay._

Because she sure as hell wasn’t.

Oliver stared out, as the sun was setting over Metropolis. Clark always loved the sunsets. When things were still good, they would sit out on the balcony to watch the sun setting together. Sometimes, Clark would even fly them up and above so they could see it better.

Now they would never do that anymore. Never would he feel the caress of Clark’s skin, never would he be wrapped in the strong arms, kiss those lovely lips . . . no, it was all over.

 _The sun is setting, closing the day . . . and closing this chapter of my life._ Tomorrow would be a new day and the first day of the rest of his life without Clark.

_Come on, Queen, you’re young, handsome, charming and extremely successful . . . if he doesn’t want you, that’s his loss. Buck up. Tomorrow is a new day, soon you’ll forget all about him._

Too bad that was easier said than done.

After an hour of solid talking and lots of pie, Clark finished telling his mom what happened over the past few weeks. There were some things he filtered out, because it’s his mom and you can’t say certain stuff to your mother.

But she was shocked when she heard what he had done. She had many questions, some which he could answer and others, that he wasn’t able to.

“Clark,” she said gently, “Do you know what you’ve done? Are you sure about all this?”

“I do know,” Clark said. “And I am sure . . . at least, mostly sure. Either way, mom, I did it. In the long run, this will be for the best.”

Martha pursed her lips together but didn’t say anything. “I just hate to see you so sad . . . you both love each so much. And Oliver has become like a son to me . . . this must be killing him.”

“I hate hurting him like this,” Clark replied morosely. “But there really was no other option. At least none that I could see.”

“I don’t want to see you regret this, Clark,” Martha replied. “You’ve made some serious choices here.”

“I do regret it already,” Clark responded. “But I know what I have to do. Trust me on this one.”

She nodded. “If you say so.” Sensing that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore, she changed the topic. “So how’s Chloe doing?”

He gave her a grateful smile and began eagerly chatting about his best friend and her upcoming move. Only pausing when he realized he owed her a phone call and rushed off to make it.

Chloe sounded really relieved to hear from him and they spoke about what happened. Between Chloe and his mom, he talked a lot that night.

And over the next couple of days. He was spending time with his mom or Chloe, most of the time both. They didn’t want to waste a moment apart.

The days passed quickly and before he knew it, it was time for him to go. Holding a duffel bag of essentials, he stood at the door, with his mom and Chloe. He gave a vague explanation earlier to Lois about how he had to go explore. She didn’t really understand but she didn’t question it either.

Now was the hardest moment. Saying goodbye.

His mom and Chloe were both in tears but trying to remain strong for him.

He took turns in hugging them both. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“You’ll be great, Clark,” his mother assured him. “And soon, you’ll come home to us. We’ll be waiting.”

“Just be careful with Jor-El,” Chloe added. “I want you to give it your all but make sure you’re cautious too.”

Hugging his best friend, he whispered, “Thank you . . . for everything. You’re going to do great in D.C. I’m sure when I come home, I will see Chloe Sullivan, Pulitzer winner.”

She nodded tearfully. “I’ll win one for you.” Kissing her forehead, he smiled.

“Take care of yourself. I won’t be there to save you. So try not to get yourself in too many messes, okay?”

She giggled. “No promises.”

One last hug and he turned back to his mother. “You’ll be okay, right mom?”

“I’ll miss you like crazy,” Martha said. “But yes, I’ll be fine. Don’t fret too much about us . . .”

“I’ll watch over your mom too,” Chloe chipped in.

“There are plenty of people around me,” Martha agreed. “You just focus everything you’ve got on your training.”

“I’ll make you guys proud,” he promised.

“You already do,” Martha proclaimed.

“I have a request,” he said. “Take care of Ollie for me?”

Both Chloe and his mother nodded. “We’ll look after him,” Martha said.

“I guess this is goodbye then,” Clark said, shuffling his feet. “I love you both very much.”

“And we love you too,” Chloe told him. “Good luck, Clark.”

“Bye sweetie,” Martha said.

Heart breaking, Clark turned and walked out of the home which he had grown up in. Glancing around to make sure nobody was around, he glanced back one last time. Shooting his mom and Chloe a brave smile, he turned to the sky and shot up in the air.

It was time for him to go fulfill his destiny . . . but before he left, he had one last stop to make.

Oliver stared out into the night sky. It was supposed to be a full moon. From his balcony, he could get a good view.

The past few days had been the most difficult of his life. Waking up alone, going to bed alone . . . spending his days, just alone. It had been a while since he’d been single and he didn’t remember how tough it was. Especially when he was still in love with his ex.

 _I wonder where Clark is at this moment._ “Probably with Julia,” he muttered. He was probably celebrating his newfound ‘freedom’.

Forcing thoughts of Clark away, he walked back inside, his eyes immediately falling on the package lying on the coffee table. It had arrived the day after Clark and his breakup. Oliver hadn’t opened it yet.

 _I guess I should do that now._ Making his way toward it, he picked up the small package and finding a pair of scissors, opened it. Dug through the packaging until he got to its contents.

A small velvet box. He gently lifted the cover and smiled sadly at what it held. A platinum engagement ring rested there. In the center of the band laid a green diamond. That’s what had held up its delivery. The color matched Clark’s eyes exactly. It had been nearly impossible to find but Oliver had been working on finding it ever since Clark first mentioned marriage.

Clark didn’t have much love for the color, as it was also the color of the rock that could kill him. Oliver wanted to show him that the color that was his weakness would now be his strength, because every time he looked at the ring, he would be reminded of how much Oliver loved him. And that love would be their strongest point.

Now the love was dead. And the ring that he had spent so much time and effort not to mention money to get would never be used.

Unbeknownst to him, he was not alone. A figure hovered at the balcony, watching him and his every move.

Clark watched Oliver going through some package and had to prevent himself from gasping when he saw Oliver reveal a velvet box. _Oh no._

 _You are the biggest asshole on the face of this planet._ Smiling sadly, he whispered. “Take care of yourself, Oliver . . . I love you.”

Oliver’s head snapped up and he looked around frantically. But Clark was already gone.

He rushed to the balcony. “I could’ve sworn,” he murmured. There was no one there. He was alone. It was time to accept it. No matter how difficult it would be.

It was time to live his live . . . without Clark.

Clark was flying full speed toward the caves. He had to see Oliver one last time before he left. It was selfish but he did it anyway.

His mom and Chloe would watch over Oliver. Together, the three of them would be fine without him. One day, he’d return and do what he always secretly knew he was meant to.

But for now, he had a mission to complete. Before he could give himself completely to the world, he had to know who he was. This was the only way he would find out.

 _It’s time._ As he made his way to the secret area, from which he could go to his Fortress, memories of Oliver and him flashed through his mind.

_“I have graduation practice tomorrow,” Clark said. Seeing disappointment creeping on Oliver’s face, he continued. “But I’m yours tonight.”_

_“Only tonight?” Oliver asked with a teasing smile._

_“Tonight for now,” Clark said, “But after grad practice, I’m yours for however long you want me.”_

_“How does forever sound?” Oliver asked softly._

_“Pretty damn good to me,” Clark replied with a smile._

It seemed, Clark realized, as he slipped his key into the familiar slot, forever just wasn’t long enough.

As a bright light encompassed him, leading him to a place, which he knew too well, he willed himself to be strong.

 _It’s time._ Yes, it was.

THE END

Except not really. Sequel: [Sober](http://archiveofourown.org/works/506155/).


End file.
